The French air force’s fleet of General Atomics MQ-9 Reapers were expected to dominate the other unmanned aerial vehicles, however the call of duty has thrust competing products into the spotlight at the Paris air show.
France’s Reapers have been busy on oversight missions for forces in the Sahel-Saharan region. The third Reaper deployed directly to Niamey, Niger in early May, helping to supplement other UAVs in the region.
With the Reapers absent the Turkish Aerospace Industries’ Anka and Israeli Aerospace Industries Super Heron medium altitude long endurance UAVs have taken a prominent place on the static display.
The Super Heron is a development on the venerable Heron platform, featuring a 200Hp heavy fuel engine for increased payload and range performance, as well as aerodynamic changes that have delivered a 5% reduction in drag.
TAI’s Anka also features a heavy fuel engine, and is capable of taking a variety of surveillance and intelligence missions with a variety of sensor payloads. The ‘Block B’ variant of the type took flight in February, and first delivery to the Turkish air force is planned for 2016.
Both the Super Heron and Anka are being pitched at the international market as alternatives to reaper. The Super Heron was beaten out by the Elbit Hermes 900 in a Swiss competition last year.
Source: Flight Daily News
