Documents
Israel Israel Aerospace Industries
Heron TP
A larger, turboprop-powered evolution of the Heron 1 capable of carrying heavier payloads to higher altitudes, operated by the Israeli Air Force (as Eitan) and the UK Royal Air Force (as Protector-predecessor Watchkeeper-class lease). Reportedly armable, though Israel has not officially confirmed weapons use.
In service since 2010 · 3 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
1,852
km range
13,716
m ceiling
2,700
kg payload
Pricing: Unit cost not publicly disclosed
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
Israeli export-licensed
Israeli MoD (DECA/SIBAT) licensing; active export programme.
Channel: Direct commercial / G2G
Fielded & proven
Limited · 3 operators
In service since 2010. Status: active.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
No public unit price to model from.
Interoperability
No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.
Derived guidance from public data — export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
- Cruise speed
Sustained economical speed. Determines transit time to station.
- 213 km/h Stronger than 80% of UAVs
- Range
Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.
- 1,852 km Stronger than 71% of UAVs
- Service ceiling
Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon.
- 13,716 m Stronger than 87% of UAVs
- Endurance
Time on station. Critical for UAVs and patrol platforms — higher means longer persistent coverage.
- 30 h Stronger than 85% of UAVs
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
- Weapons payload
Maximum ordnance weight the platform can carry. Higher means more strike capacity per sortie.
- 2,700 kg Top 5% of UAVs
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
- Length
Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.
- 13 m
- Wingspan
Wingtip-to-wingtip span.
- 26 m
- Combat weight
Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.
- 5,670 kg
- Crew
Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.
- 0
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
- Engine
Powerplant model and type.
- Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A turboprop
- Propulsion type
Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…
- Turboprop, pusher propeller
Sensors & avionics
Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.
- Sensors
IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights.
- Electro-optical/infrared payload, Synthetic aperture radar/GMTI, SIGINT payload (variants)
- Datalink
Network connectivity: Link 16, MADL, national datalinks. Enables cooperative engagement.
- LOS datalink, SATCOM
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
- Operator countries
Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.
- 3 Stronger than 47% of UAVs
Specifications compiled from public Israel Aerospace Industries and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations — treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
Compare with rivals
See how it stacks up
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-9A Reaper 
Turkish Aerospace Industries ANKA-S Frequently asked questions
What is the range of the Israel Aerospace Industries Heron TP? +
The Israel Aerospace Industries Heron TP has a maximum range of 1,852 km.
What is the weapons payload of the Israel Aerospace Industries Heron TP? +
The Israel Aerospace Industries Heron TP can carry up to 2,700 kg of weapons payload.
How much does the Israel Aerospace Industries Heron TP weigh? +
The Israel Aerospace Industries Heron TP has a combat weight of 5,670 kg.
How many crew does the Israel Aerospace Industries Heron TP require? +
The Israel Aerospace Industries Heron TP requires a crew of 0.
What engine does the Israel Aerospace Industries Heron TP use? +
The Israel Aerospace Industries Heron TP is powered by the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A turboprop.
What is the Israel Aerospace Industries Heron TP used for? +
The Israel Aerospace Industries Heron TP is a uav / drone typically used for isr, close air support.
How many countries operate the Israel Aerospace Industries Heron TP? +
The Israel Aerospace Industries Heron TP is operated by 3 countries.
How much does the Israel Aerospace Industries Heron TP cost? +
Israel Aerospace Industries Heron TP: Unit cost not publicly disclosed. Defense program costs are rarely fully public and vary by contract and configuration.
Similar systems
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems
MQ-9A Reaper
Northrop Grumman
RQ-4 Global Hawk
Turkish Aerospace Industries
ANKA-S
Baykar