Profile
- Type
- Mini unmanned aerial system
- Conflict side
- Azerbaijan
- Origin
- Israel; assembled and produced in Azerbaijan through Azad Systems
- Service note
- 2010s-present mini-UAS family, documented in Azerbaijani service by the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war
Aircraft & UAVs
Aeronautics Orbiter 2
The Aeronautics Orbiter 2 is an Israeli fixed-wing mini-UAS built for tactical reconnaissance, surveillance, target acquisition, and payload-flexible ISR missions. Azerbaijan assembled Orbiter-family UAVs through the Azad Systems joint venture and used Orbiter-2 reconnaissance drones as part of the UAV-heavy campaign around Nagorno-Karabakh.
- Conflict side
- Azerbaijan
- Built in
- IsraelAzerbaijan
Service History
- In service
- In Azerbaijani service by the early 2010s; used in and around Nagorno-Karabakh by 2020
- Used by
- Azerbaijani Armed Forces, Finnish Defence Forces, Serbian Armed Forces
- Wars
- Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict
Production History
- Designer
- Aeronautics Defense Systems
- Designed
- 2000s Orbiter mini-UAV family
- Built in
- IsraelAzerbaijan
- Unit cost
- Not publicly standardized
- Produced
- 2010s-present
- Number built
- Not publicly disclosed
- Variants
- Orbiter 2, Orbiter 2M, Orbiter 2B
Specifications
- Maximum takeoff weight
- 13 kg
- Wingspan
- 3 m
- Length
- 0.9 m
- Endurance
- Up to 3 hours
- Datalink
- Line-of-sight up to 50 km
- Payload
- Up to 1.8 kg
- Maximum speed
- 50 kt
- Sensor payload
- EO/IR payload with up to x80 combined zoom
Conflict Usage
- Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict
- Side: AzerbaijanRole: Tactical reconnaissance and ISR
Azerbaijani forces used Orbiter-2 reconnaissance drones alongside other Israeli-made UAVs during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh fighting and later Karabakh operations.
Aeronautics Orbiter 2 Images
Related Weapon Systems
Aeronautics Orbiter 1KClass 1 loitering munition UASThe Aeronautics Orbiter 1K is an Israeli electric loitering munition derived from the Orbiter mini-UAS family, combining EO/IR surveillance with a fragmentation warhead for attacks on soft targets. Azerbaijan fielded Orbiter 1K systems alongside other Israeli and Turkish unmanned weapons during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war.
Aeronautics Orbiter 3 UAVSmall tactical unmanned aircraft systemThe Aeronautics Orbiter 3 is an Israeli small tactical UAV built for ISTAR missions with electro-optical, infrared, signals-intelligence, and electronic-warfare payload options. Azerbaijan fielded Orbiter 3 surveillance UAVs during the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict as part of a broader drone force used to locate targets, support fire control, and maintain aerial reconnaissance over Armenian positions..jpg?width=480)
An-2 unmanned decoy / converted UCAVConverted unmanned decoy aircraft / improvised UCAVThe An-2 unmanned decoy / converted UCAV was an improvised Azerbaijani adaptation of the Soviet Antonov An-2 utility biplane. In the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war, Azerbaijani forces used converted An-2s as expendable unmanned aircraft to enter Armenian air-defense engagement zones, draw fire, and help reveal targets for other UAVs and loitering munitions, with some reporting that crashed examples carried explosive payloads.
Bayraktar TB2Medium-altitude long-endurance UAVThe Bayraktar TB2 is a Turkish MALE unmanned combat aircraft built by Baykar for reconnaissance, surveillance, and precision strike missions. Azerbaijani use in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war helped make the TB2 a prominent example of armed UAVs paired with guided micro-munitions in recent conflicts.
Hermes 450 armed unmanned aircraftArmed tactical UAVElbit's Hermes 450 is an Israeli tactical UAV adapted for armed use and long-endurance missions, with the Israel-Hamas War archive documenting an Israeli Air Force strike in Gaza in 2025.
Hermes 900 unmanned aircraftMedium-altitude long-endurance UAVElbit's Hermes 900 is an Israeli medium-altitude long-endurance UAV that the IDF has used for attack and surveillance missions in Gaza during the Israel-Hamas War, combining persistent endurance with multi-payload sensors.Sources
Orbiter 2Publisher: Aeronautics Defense Systems | Note: Supports manufacturer background, ISR role, payload options, and technical specifications for the Orbiter 2 Mini UAS. | Accessed: 2026-06-20CNN/WRAL Arms Trade ScrutinyPublisher: CNN via WRAL | Note: Supports Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict direct-use claim: Orbiter-2 reconnaissance drones were used by Azerbaijan during the 2020 war and later Karabakh fighting. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Death From Above - Azerbaijan's Killer Drone ArsenalPublisher: Oryx | Note: Supports background on Azerbaijan's Israeli-made surveillance UAV fleet and local Azad Systems production of Orbiter 2, Orbiter 3, Aerostar, and Orbiter 1K systems. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Orbiter 2 to be built in AzerbaijanPublisher: sUAS News | Note: Supports Azerbaijani production and assembly context for Orbiter 2/Orbiter 2M UAVs through Azad Systems. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Commons Orbiter 2 Finnish Display ImagePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for the primary Orbiter 2 image; the file page identifies a Finnish Defence Forces Orbiter 2 UAV and public-domain release. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Commons Azeri Orbiter Parade ImagePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for an Azerbaijani Orbiter 2M displayed at a 2013 Baku military parade under CC0. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Commons Aeronautics Orbiter UAV ImagePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for an Aeronautics Orbiter UAV image released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Commons Serbian Orbiter ImagePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for an Orbiter UAV in Serbian service released into the public domain. | Accessed: 2026-06-20