Aeronaves y UAV

IAI Heron UAV

Also known as
  • Heron
  • IAI Heron
  • Heron 1
  • Shoval
  • IAI Shoval
  • Heron 1 Shoval
  • Shoval Yam
  • Maritime Heron 1
  • Heron Mk II
  • Heron TP
  • IAI Eitan
  • Machatz-1
  • Machatz 1

El IAI Heron es una familia israeli de UAV de media altitud y gran autonomia construida para misiones persistentes de ISR, adquisicion de objetivos, patrulla maritima y vigilancia multisensor. IAI describe al Heron 1, conocido en servicio israeli como Shoval, y al Heron Mk II como plataformas MALE con capacidad SATCOM, rodaje, despegue y aterrizaje automaticos, mientras que las fuentes de conflicto vinculan la familia con operaciones israelies en Gaza e Iran, reconocimiento y seleccion de objetivos azerbaiyanos en Nagorno-Karabakh, y operaciones indias con Heron Mk II durante Operation Sindoor.

IAI Heron UAV, UAV de media altitud y gran autonomia, Aeronaves y UAV
Image source: Heron UAV 2009

Role in Conflicts

Mission System And Payloads

La familia Heron se entiende mejor como plataforma de sensores y aeronave de mision, no solo como municion de ataque. IAI describe al Heron de base como una aeronave ISTAR multicarga util capaz de usar enlaces directos de linea de vision o enlaces satelitales, mientras que Heron Mk II amplia el mismo conjunto de misiones con sensores mas grandes y recoleccion a distancia. Durante Operation Rising Lion, IAI dice que aeronaves Heron/Shoval y Heron TP/Eitan transmitieron inteligencia visual y electronica a largas distancias y usaron fusion de datos de cargas utiles asistida por IA para construir un panorama de inteligencia multidominio.

Conjunto de misiones

ISR, adquisicion de objetivos, reconocimiento, patrulla maritima, apoyo a la conciencia situacional de mando y misiones de retransmision de sensores en contextos operativos aereos, terrestres y navales.

Arquitectura de carga util

IAI dice que Heron puede gestionar hasta seis cargas utiles de mision, mientras que Heron Mk II puede llevar cargas electro-opticas, de radar, ELINT, COMINT, ESM, retransmision de comunicaciones y especializadas.

Concepto operativo

La familia usa rodaje, despegue y aterrizaje automaticos, SATCOM para misiones mas alla de la linea de vision y gran autonomia para mantener vigilancia sobre una zona objetivo sin exponer una aeronave tripulada.

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
Israel
Type
UAV de media altitud y gran autonomia
Service note
Primer vuelo en 1994; servicio israeli Shoval desde la decada de 2000, con uso de combate israeli documentado en 2023-2026, uso azerbaiyano en Nagorno-Karabakh en 2020 y servicio indio del Heron Mk II durante Operation Sindoor en 2025
Designer
Division Malat de Israel Aerospace Industries
Designed
Decada de 1990
Produced
1994-presente
Number built
Mas de 160

Specifications

Tripulacion
Vehiculo aereo no tripulado con tripulacion remota en estacion de control terrestre
Peso maximo al despegue
1.270 kg
Carga util
Hasta 470 kg
Autonomia
Hasta 45 horas
Altitud
Por encima de 35.000 ft
Envergadura
16,6 m
Longitud
8,5 m
Alcance
Linea de vision por debajo de 250 km; mas alla de la linea de vision por encima de 1.000 km
Velocidad
Velocidad de merodeo de 60-80 ktas; velocidad maxima de 140 ktas
Israeli Service Names

Shoval es el nombre de servicio de la Fuerza Aerea Israeli para la configuracion Heron 1, no una familia UAV separada y sin relacion. IAI usa Heron como nombre de exportacion y de familia, Heron Mk II para el modelo mejorado y Heron TP/Eitan para el derivado mas grande. La configuracion maritima Heron 1/Shoval anade sensores de patrulla naval, y la imagen de Commons procedente de las IDF identifica la aeronave maritima del Squadron 200 como Shoval Yam.

Nombre IAF

Shoval se refiere al Heron 1 en servicio de la Fuerza Aerea Israeli, con el Squadron 200 operando el tipo para ISR, vigilancia, apoyo a fuerzas terrestres y misiones de largo alcance.

Nombre maritimo

Shoval Yam esta documentado como un Heron-1 maritimo usado por la unidad de patrulla maritima del Squadron 200.

Limite de la familia

Heron TP/Eitan figura como un derivado mas pesado, mientras que Heron Mk II se trata aqui como un modelo mejorado de la familia Heron y no como una pagina de catalogo separada.

Variants

IAI usa Heron para la familia UAS MALE de base; las fuentes de servicio israeli identifican al Heron 1 como Shoval, mientras que el Heron Mk II es un modelo mejorado y el Heron TP es un derivado de mucho mayor tamano y gran autonomia conocido en servicio israeli como Eitan.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
Heron 1 / Machatz-1 / ShovalUAS MALE ISR de base

La pagina Heron de IAI describe un UAS MALE multifuncion con SATCOM, rodaje-despegue-y-aterrizaje automaticos, capacidad de mision con seis cargas utiles, autonomia de 45 horas y clase de carga util de 470 kg; los informes de IAI sobre la guerra de la familia Heron identifican al UAS Heron operado por la IAF como Shoval.

Sources: HERON Multi-Role MALE UAS, IAI Unmanned Aerial Dominance

Maritime Heron 1 / Shoval YamConfiguracion de patrulla maritima

IAI dice que la configuracion maritima Heron 1/Shoval reemplazo a los aviones de patrulla maritima Sea Scan de la IAF y usa radar maritimo junto con cargas utiles electro-opticas; los metadatos de Commons para la imagen procedente de las IDF identifican un Heron-1 Shoval Yam usado por la unidad de patrulla maritima del Squadron 200.

Sources: IAI Sea Scan Replacement, IAI Heron-1 Maritime Patrol UAV Shoval Yam

Heron MK IIModelo Heron mejorado

IAI presenta el Heron MK II como un UAV Heron actualizado, con fuselaje reforzado, peso maximo al despegue de 1.430 kg, clase de carga util de 490 kg, velocidad maxima de 150 kt, autonomia de 45 horas y recoleccion de inteligencia a distancia desde decenas de kilometros.

Sources: HERON MK II, HERON MK II 2026 Brochure

IAI Heron TP, Strategic medium-altitude long-endurance UAV, Aircraft & UAVsHeron TP / EitanLarger high-endurance derivative

IAI's Heron TP page lists a 5,670 kg maximum takeoff weight, payloads exceeding 1,000 kg, operation up to 45,000 ft, and mission endurance above 30 hours, separating it from the smaller Heron 1 airframe.

Sources: HERON TP

Heron TP / EitanDerivado mas grande y de gran autonomia

La pagina Heron TP de IAI enumera un peso maximo al despegue de 5.670 kg, cargas utiles superiores a 1.000 kg, operacion hasta 45.000 ft y autonomia de mision superior a 30 horas, separandolo de la celula mas pequena del Heron 1.

Timeline

IAI Heron UAV Key Events

  1. Primer vuelo

    La pagina historica de IAI dice que el Heron volo por primera vez en 1994, marcando el inicio de la linea MALE UAV.

    Sources: IAI history: Heron first flight

  2. Primera adquisicion de la Fuerza Aerea Israeli

    El dossier de programa de Aviation Week dice que el primer pedido de la Fuerza Aerea Israeli llego en septiembre de 2005 y vinculo la plataforma con su primer cliente nacional importante.

    Sources: Aviation Week Program Dossier: IAI Heron

  3. Operativo durante la guerra del Libano

    Defense Update informo que el IAI Heron/Shoval ya habia operado durante la 2006 Lebanon War antes de la incorporacion formal por la IAF en 2007.

    Sources: Defense Update IAF Heron Shoval

  4. Maritime Heron 1 reemplaza a los aviones Sea Scan

    IAI anuncio que la Fuerza Aerea Israeli reemplazaria sus aviones tripulados de patrulla maritima Sea Scan con sistemas UAV maritimos Heron 1/Shoval equipados con radar maritimo y cargas utiles electro-opticas.

    Sources: IAI Sea Scan Replacement

  5. Heron se suma a la respuesta inicial de la Israel-Hamas War

    IAI dice que un Heron del primer escuadron de UAV fue enviado hacia Gaza el 7 de octubre de 2023 y ayudo a restablecer la conciencia situacional del alto mando con sensores y comunicaciones.

    Sources: IAI Unmanned Aerial Dominance

  6. Usado en la guerra de Nagorno-Karabakh

    Army University Press describe el Heron (Machatz-1) como uno de los UAV MALE controlados remotamente que Azerbaijan uso en cantidades variables durante la guerra de 2020.

    Sources: Realize the Future

  7. Heron Mk II usado durante Operation Sindoor

    ThePrint informo que UAV Heron Mk II indios y otros drones documentaron los ataques de Operation Sindoor del 7 de mayo y continuaron operando durante el breve conflicto India-Pakistan de 2025.

    Sources: After Op Sindoor, India goes in for more Heron Mk IIs

  8. Shoval usado en la campana Rising Lion

    IAI dice que aeronaves pilotadas remotamente Heron/Shoval y Heron TP/Eitan volaron misiones Rising Lion de largo alcance, incluida la recoleccion de inteligencia visual y electronica, fusion de datos asistida por IA, identificacion de objetivos, apoyo a la cadena de ataque y evaluacion de danos de combate.

    Sources: IAI Rising Lion Multi-Domain Defence, IAI Heron Sets New Standards

  9. Operador de Shoval describe misiones de busqueda de lanzadores en la Iran War

    JNS informo que un operador de Heron 1/Shoval del Squadron 200 describio misiones durante la 2026 Iran War centradas en localizar lanzadores de misiles iranies y apoyar operaciones aereas israelies mas amplias.

    Sources: JNS Heron 1 Shoval Missions

Family Position

La linea Heron se situa entre los UAV tacticos mas pequenos de IAI y su derivado Heron TP mas pesado. Las distinciones siguientes son utiles porque la informacion publica a veces comprime Heron 1, Heron Mk II y Heron TP/Eitan bajo una sola etiqueta Heron.

ModeloEscalaDistincion publica
Heron 11.270 kg MTOWUAS MALE de base con 45 horas de autonomia, clase de carga util de 470 kg y alcance BLOS superior a 1.000 km.
Heron MK II1.430 kg MTOWModelo mejorado con clase de carga util de 490 kg, velocidad de 150 kt, autonomia de 45 horas, opciones de sensores mas grandes y recoleccion de inteligencia a distancia.
IAI Heron TP, Strategic medium-altitude long-endurance UAV, Aircraft & UAVsHeron TP / Eitan5.670 kg MTOWDerivado mucho mas grande y de gran autonomia, con cargas utiles superiores a 1.000 kg, clase de altitud de 45.000 ft y autonomia superior a 30 horas.
Media

IAI Heron UAV Videos

IAI Heron UAV Images

IAI Heron UAV, UAV de media altitud y gran autonomia, Aeronaves y UAV - view 1
Source: PikiWiki Shoval UAV
IAI Heron UAV, UAV de media altitud y gran autonomia, Aeronaves y UAV - view 2
Source: DRONE HERON 01
IAI Heron UAV, UAV de media altitud y gran autonomia, Aeronaves y UAV - view 3
Source: IAI Heron Nose
IAI Heron UAV, UAV de media altitud y gran autonomia, Aeronaves y UAV - view 4
Source: IAI Heron-1 Maritime Patrol UAV Shoval Yam
Related Weapon Systems
IAI Heron TP, Strategic medium-altitude long-endurance UAV, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsIAI Heron TPStrategic medium-altitude long-endurance UAVThe IAI Heron TP is the large strategic member of Israel Aerospace Industries' Heron UAV family, known in Israeli Air Force service as Eitan. It is built for long-range, high-altitude intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, reconnaissance, and multi-payload missions, with official specifications listing a 5,670 kg maximum takeoff weight, more than 30 hours endurance, beyond-line-of-sight SATCOM operation, and payload capacity far above the smaller Heron 1. Conflict sourcing ties the type to Israeli Operation Cast Lead ISR, Iron Swords surveillance sorties, and Operation Rising Lion missions over Iran, while official German program sources document a customized German Heron TP configuration for Bundeswehr ISR service.
IAI Searcher UAV, Tactical reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicle, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsIAI Searcher UAVTactical reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicleThe IAI Searcher is an Israeli tactical UAV family built by Israel Aerospace Industries for surveillance, reconnaissance, target acquisition, artillery adjustment, and battle-damage assessment. Searcher Mk II and Mk III extended the line with longer endurance, heavier payload options, and export service, including Sri Lankan Air Force use in the civil war and Azerbaijani reconnaissance/fire-control use in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war.
IAI Harop, Long-range loitering munition, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsIAI HaropLong-range loitering munitionThe IAI Harop is an Israeli long-range loitering munition that combines UAV-style search and surveillance with an expendable precision-strike role. Israel Aerospace Industries presents it as a second-generation electro-optical attack system launched from land or naval canisters, controlled by a remote human operator, and able to attack high-value targets from multiple dive angles. Direct public sourcing ties Harop to Azerbaijan's 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh campaign and India's 2025 Operation Sindoor.
Predator XP, Medium-altitude long-endurance ISR remotely piloted aircraft, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsPredator XPMedium-altitude long-endurance ISR remotely piloted aircraftPredator XP is General Atomics Aeronautical Systems' export-focused Predator-family remotely piloted aircraft for persistent overland and maritime intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions. The unarmed variant was licensed for a wider export market than armed MQ-1 Predators, with the UAE becoming the first announced customer through an International Golden Group procurement path. GA-ASI still described the UAE Armed Forces as Predator XP operators in 2023, and open-source research ties Emirati Predator XP deployment to the Yemen war.
Hermes 900 unmanned aircraft, Medium-altitude long-endurance UAV, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsHermes 900 unmanned aircraftMedium-altitude long-endurance UAVElbit's Hermes 900 Kochav is an Israeli medium-altitude long-endurance UAV family with 36-hour endurance, a 350 kg baseline payload, and modular ISR, electronic-intelligence, communications-relay, maritime-patrol, and wide-area surveillance payload options. First flown in 2009, it entered Israeli combat use during the 2014 Gaza War and has since appeared in Azerbaijani and Israeli conflict documentation, while the StarLiner branch adds civil-airspace certification and heavier payload capacity for non-segregated airspace missions.

Sources

HERON Multi-Role MALE UASPublisher: Israel Aerospace Industries | Note: Supports manufacturer background, MALE UAS role, communications, payload, endurance, altitude, range, and dimensional specifications. | Accessed: 2026-07-02HERON MK IIPublisher: Israel Aerospace Industries | Note: Supports Heron Mk II variant context, endurance, altitude, speed, standoff observation, payload options, SATCOM, and automatic taxi-takeoff-and-landing claims. | Accessed: 2026-07-02HERON MK II 2026 BrochurePublisher: Israel Aerospace Industries | Note: Supports Heron Mk II technical details including maximum takeoff weight, payload capacity, maximum speed, endurance, altitude, and beyond-line-of-sight range. | Accessed: 2026-07-06HERON TPPublisher: Israel Aerospace Industries | Note: Supports Heron TP/Eitan derivative context, maximum takeoff weight, payload class, endurance, altitude, SATCOM, and automatic taxi-takeoff-and-landing claims. | Accessed: 2026-07-02IAI Sea Scan ReplacementPublisher: Israel Aerospace Industries | Note: Supports maritime Heron 1/Shoval service context, replacement of the IAF Sea Scan maritime patrol aircraft, and maritime radar plus electro-optical payload claims. | Accessed: 2026-07-02IAI Unmanned Aerial DominancePublisher: Israel Aerospace Industries | Note: Supports 2023 Israel-Hamas War direct-use context: IAI says a Heron was directed toward Gaza on October 7, 2023, and that IAF Heron UAS, referred to as Shoval, supported situational awareness, surveillance, and communications during Iron Swords operations. | Accessed: 2026-07-02IAI Heron Sets New StandardsPublisher: Israel Aerospace Industries | Note: Supports 2025 Israel-Iran Conflict direct-use context: IAI identifies Heron in IAF Shoval configuration and says Heron-family MALE UAS maintained combat presence over Iran during the 12-day Rising Lion campaign for surveillance, target identification, kill-chain support, and battle-damage assessment. | Accessed: 2026-07-02IAI Rising Lion Multi-Domain DefencePublisher: Israel Aerospace Industries | Note: Supports 2025 Israel-Iran Conflict direct-use context: IAI says Heron/Shoval and Heron TP/Eitan remotely piloted aircraft operated continuously in the third circle during Operation Rising Lion, transmitting visual and electronic intelligence and using AI-assisted data fusion from multiple payloads. | Accessed: 2026-07-06IAI history: Heron first flightPublisher: Israel Aerospace Industries | Note: Supports the Heron's first flight in 1994 and early program history. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Aviation Week Program Dossier: IAI HeronPublisher: Aviation Week | Note: Supports the Heron's production history, the first Israeli Air Force order in September 2005, and the report that more than 160 air vehicles had been produced. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Defense Update IAF Heron ShovalPublisher: Defense Update | Note: Supports 2006 Lebanon War direct-use context: reports Heron/Shoval was operational during the 2006 Lebanon War through joint IAI and IAF activity before formal IAF induction. | Accessed: 2026-07-02HRW Precisely WrongPublisher: Human Rights Watch | Note: Supports 2008 Gaza War direct-use context: documents Israeli Heron drone use during Operation Cast Lead in Gaza, while noting broader drone-strike evidence also includes Hermes systems. | Accessed: 2026-07-02JNS Heron 1 Shoval MissionsPublisher: Jewish News Syndicate | Note: Supports 2026 Iran War direct-use context: a Squadron 200 operator describes Heron 1/Shoval missions hunting missile launchers and providing long-endurance intelligence support during the 2026 Iran War. | Accessed: 2026-07-02The Air and Missile War in Nagorno-KarabakhPublisher: Center for Strategic and International Studies | Note: Supports background context for Azerbaijani UAV reconnaissance, targeting, and air-defense suppression during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Realize the FuturePublisher: Army University Press | Note: Supports 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict direct-use context: Heron (Machatz-1) used by Azerbaijanis in varying numbers during the 2020 war. | Accessed: 2026-07-02After Op Sindoor, India goes in for more Heron Mk IIsPublisher: ThePrint | Note: Supports 2025 India-Pakistan Conflict direct-use context: Indian Heron Mk II UAVs were used during Operation Sindoor to document the May 7 strikes and for subsequent operation activity. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Heron UAV 2009Publisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for a public-domain U.S. Southern Command photograph of a Heron UAV taking off from Comalapa Air Base. | Accessed: 2026-07-02PikiWiki Shoval UAVPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and CC BY 2.5 licensing for a Shoval UAV of Squadron 200 displayed at Hatzerim Air Base. | Accessed: 2026-07-02DRONE HERON 01Publisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and CC BY-SA 3.0 licensing for a 2009 Paris Air Show photograph of an IAI Heron 1 UAV. | Accessed: 2026-07-02IAI Heron NosePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and reusable licensing for a close-up image of an IAI Heron nose at the 2009 Paris Air Show. | Accessed: 2026-07-02IAI Heron-1 Maritime Patrol UAV Shoval YamPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and CC BY-SA 3.0 licensing for an IDF Spokesperson's Unit image of a maritime Heron-1 variant. | Accessed: 2026-07-02