"Heron arrived at the Salvadoran air base April 29 and participated in
10 missions during the evaluation, flying more than 100 hours in direct
support of counter-drug surveillance activities along Central America's
Pacific coast," Southern Command said. "None of the missions Heron flew
resulted in a drug bust, although the UAV did investigate suspected
targets."
"The system is well tested and reliable," Ted Venable, a program manager
for Southern Command, said. "It can remain on patrol longer than some manned
aircraft may be able to do."
Officials said the U.S. military would study the images provided by
Heron as well as the suitability of the platform for counter-smuggling
missions. They said a decision for procurement was not expected in 2009.
"Despite the UAV's ability to operate unassisted by other airframes, the
Heron did not always work alone during its deployment to El Salvador,"
Southern Command said. "The aircraft and its support crew occasionally
worked cooperatively with manned platforms supporting the same mission.
Heron was used to investigate suspected targets spotted by E-2C Hawkeyes
operating from the CSL, and in one instance, the UAV even handed over a
suspected target to Salvadoran Cessna-337 patrol aircraft for further
monitoring."
The Heron is produced by the state-owned Israel Aerospace
Industries, which has sold or leased Heron to several countries, including Canada,
Germany, India and Turkey. In the United States, IAI has been represented by
its subsidiary Stark Aerospace.