IAI Searcher

The IAI Searcher (also known by the Hebrew name מרומית Meyromit - "Marsh tern",[2] or officially in Israel as the חוגלה Hugla - "Alectoris") is a reconnaissance UAV developed in Israel in the 1980s. In the following decade, it replaced the IMI Mastiff and IAI Scout UAVs then in service with the Israeli Army.

"Forpost" redirects here. For the Russian rural locality, see Forpost, Astrakhan Oblast.
Searcher
IAI Searcher in Tel Nof Airbase, Israel
Role Reconnaissance UAV
National origin Israel
Manufacturer IAI
Introduction • Searcher 1 - 1992[1]

• Searcher 2 - 1998[1]

Design
The Searcher MK-II (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) passes through the Rajpath during the 58th Republic Day Parade - 2007, in New Delhi on January 26, 2007

The Searcher looks almost identical to the Scout and Pioneer, but is in fact scaled up and is well over twice the size of the Scout. The Searcher is powered by a 35 kW (47 hp) piston engine. The new design features updated avionics and sensor systems with greater flight endurance as well as increased redundancy for improved survivability. In addition to Israel, the system had been exported and is currently in use by Russia, India, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Singapore,[3] Thailand and Turkey.[4]

Operational deployment

More than 100 Searcher IIs are being operated by the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy.

Crashes

10 June 2002 – Searcher Mark-II, operated by Indian Air Force for reconnaissance, was shot down by a Pakistan Air Force F-16B using AIM-9L Sidewinder at an altitude of 13,000 ft, after it was spotted by the mobile observation units.[5]

21 May 2015 – Russian "Forpost" UAV (Searcher II, tail number 923) crashed near Avdiivka in Ukraine during the War in Donbass. The aircraft was shot down by Ukrainian volunteer battalion Dnipro-1.[6]

11 July 2018 – A Russian "Forpost" UAV was found on July 12 in a field close to the village of Barqah, about 12 kilometres far from the Israeli side of the Golan heights (Syria) but none among the belligerents claimed the shot down nor the loss.[7][8]

Operators
A Republic of Singapore Air Force's IAI Searcher II at Henry Post Army Airfield (Fort Sill, Oklahoma).
Russian Forpost.

Specifications (Searcher II)
The IAI Searcher II

General characteristics

  • Crew: None
  • Capacity: 68 kg (150 lb) payload
  • Length: 5.85 m (19 ft 2 in)
  • Wingspan: 8.54 m (28 ft 0 in)
  • Height: 1.25 m (4 ft 1 in)
  • Gross weight: 500 kg (1,100 lb)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Limbach L 550, 35 kW (47 hp)

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 200 km/h (125 mph)
  • Endurance: 18 hours
  • Service ceiling: 6,100 m (20,000 ft)

Armament

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

References
  1. "אתר צה"ל - צבא ההגנה לישראל : 40 שנה להקמת טייסת המל"טים הראשונה בחיל האוויר". 4 March 2016.
  2. "Jane's Information Group". Janes.com. Archived from the original on 2009-05-01. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
  3. "Hermes 450". Israeli-weapons.com. Archived from the original on 2011-06-06. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
  5. "Spy plane an evidence of Indo-Israeli collaboration: PAF".
  6. Цензор.НЕТ. "Кадры сборки сбитого на Донбассе российского беспилотника "Форпост" на уральском заводе по заказу Минобороны РФ. ФОТОрепортаж". Archived from the original on 2015-05-24. Retrieved 2015-05-21.
  9. "List of ammunition purchased by Azerbaijan made public". News.Az. 2012-03-27. Archived from the original on 2012-03-30. Retrieved 2012-11-18.
  10. "UAVS AND UCAVS: DEVELOPMENTS IN THE EUROPEAN UNION – Appendix III, Table 1". Retrieved 2013-01-01.
  11. "Russian Force Practice Flying Forpost, Orlan-10 Drones In Tajikistan". www.defenseworld.net. Archived from the original on 2016-08-05. Retrieved 2016-05-28.
  12. "Russian Navy to Use UAV for Cruise and Anti-ship Missile Targeting". Archived from the original on 2018-08-22. Retrieved 2018-08-21.
  13. "ЦАМТО / Новости / Олег Салюков в интервью «МК»: в этом году соединения и воинские части СВ получат более 2500 новых основных образцов ВВСТ". www.armstrade.org. Archived from the original on 2018-10-01. Retrieved 2018-10-01.
  14. https://www.navyrecognition.com/index.php/focus-analysis/naval-technology/7274-russian-naval-aviation-armed-with-drones-part-1.html
  15. "ЦАМТО / Новости / Юрий Борисов: комплекс с БЛА «Форпост» с 2019 года будет производиться со 100-процентной локализацией". www.armstrade.org. Archived from the original on 2017-12-26. Retrieved 2017-12-27.
  16. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLu4rxpXWUU
  17. https://www.janes.com/article/94155/russia-orders-upgraded-forpost-tactical-uav
  18. "คณะเจ้าหน้าที่ของกองทัพเรือ เยี่ยมชมสาธิตการบิน UAV แบบ Searcher II ของกองทัพบก". Thaifighterclub.org. Retrieved 2012-11-18.

This article contains material that originally came from the web article Unmanned Aerial Vehicles by Greg Goebel, which exists in the Public Domain.

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