Israel Air Force’s largest unmanned aircraft is scheduled to begin operations within several months after eight years in development. In the past it was reported that the Eitan UAV was developed to reach Iran and Sudan. Several Eitan UAVs are scheduled to begin operations in the various combat sectors including Gaza and Lebanon.

Eitan is 14 metres long and has 26-metre-long wings. It is able to fly for 20 hours straight at a maximum speed of 143 Knots and reach a maximum altitude of 41,000 feet. It weighs five tons and can carry up to one ton. Eitan is meant to be utilised in complex intelligence gathering missions. It has already been dubbed “the most advanced UAV in the world.”

The “heavy UAV,” as it has been called, will also attempt to distinguish between terrorists and civilians in sensitive combat regions. “For the first time in military history we have a combatant who takes part in intercepting military targets with no direct threat to his life,” Lieutenant Colonel Ido Frumer said.