Vaihtoehdot ilmahyökkäyksessä käytettyyn kalustoon ovat:
- F-16i Soufa + JDAM
- Heron TP "Eitan" ja ehkä Hermes 900
Itse veikkaan jälkimmäistä, Drone-operaatiota joka onnistuu allakuvaillulla kalustolla helposti, halvemmin ja riskittömämmin kuin miehitetyillä koneilla. Lisäksi asetehdas Sudanissa on melkoisen helppo operaatio tuolle kalustolle jolla on riittävä iskukyky yhteen, suojaamattomaan maaliin
Heron TP:
With maximum takeoff weight of 4650 kg, the 14 meter long
aircraft can carry over 1,000 kg of sensors in its forward section, main payload bay, and the two bulges located at the end of each tail boom, offering optimal separation for specific systems. Other stores can be mounted along the wing, in internal and external positions. Heron TP could be fitted with wing hard-points for external stores. The aircraft is equipped with multiple datalinks, supporting line-of-sight (LOS) and Beyond Line of Sight (BLOS) links via satellite communications.
The giant drone maintains the twin tail boom principle offering stable and redundant design and large payload bay located around the aircraft center of gravity, uninterrupted by the landing gear. This configuration allows for quick and simple payload reconfiguration on the flight line. Emphasis has been placed on the aircraft airworthiness design. Highest safety and reliability standards are used, including triple redundancy and fully Automated Take Off and Landing were embedded in the Heron TP, enabling it to fly safely also over urban areas.
The new platform will be able to deploy multiple sensors, and fly on extended missions for extended durations, beyond the capabilities of current UAVs. To enable extended operations, Eitan uses new highly redundant avionics suite based on new generation of UAV avionics and controllers developed by RADA.
Apart from long range, long endurance Intelligence, Surveillance and Target Acquisition Reconnaissance (ISTAR) missions, Eitan is designed to execute a large variety of operational missions, including aerial refueling and strategic missile defense. Eitan made its maiden flight Friday, July 15, 2006 in Israel. The new MALE UAV will provide the Israel Air Force persistent, high altitude, long endurance ISR capability well beyond the reach of enemy air defenses, far beyond the Israeli borders.
While the program is unveiled in June 2007, Heron TP has already matured and, according to IAI, it is ready for serial production. Designed as a Multi-payload, Multi-mission platform to answer the requirements of the Israel Air Force, the HERON TP is powered by a single 1,200HP Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A Turbo-Prop engine, powering a four blade propeller. The use of such powerful turbo-prop engine enables the aircraft to climb and operate at altitude above 40,000 ft avoiding any airspace conflict with commercial aircraft traffic. Using on board fuel and power resources, Heron TP is able to sustain continuous missions for over 36 hours with full mission payload. The aircraft is also equipped with deicing systems protecting the aircraft when flying through icing conditions.
http://defense-update.com/products/e/eitan-uav.htm
Hermes 900:
The Hermes 900 UAV is configured for multiple operations, even under adverse weather conditions. It uses multiple sensors and satellite communication (SATCOM) for extended-range data capture and transfer. Its features include state-of-the-art avionics, retractable landing gear and internal automatic take-off and landing systems (IATOL).
The UAV also features composite structures, high mobility and built-in growth potential. It is also equipped with modern avionics such as an air traffic control (ATC) radio, radio relay and an identification friend or foe (IFF) transponder.
The Hermes 900 UAV has electro optical (EO) and infra-red (IR) sensors, thermal surveillance equipment and laser designator and electronic intelligence sensors (ELINT, COMINT).
The EO sensor converts light rays into electronic signals for capturing images, real-time data and videos. The laser designator is used in Hermes 900 UAV for targeting enemy battlefields.
Thermal surveillance equipment is used to capture high-resolution images at night, even in clouds, rain, smoke, fog and smog.
The Hermes 900 UAV is equipped with synthetic aperture radar (SAR), a ground moving target indicator (GMTI), electronic warfare (EW), signal intelligence (SIGINT) and communication intelligence (COMINT).
http://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/hermes-900/
Molemmat UAS:t ovat kohtalaisen hyviä häive-ominaisuuksiltaan (komp. rakenne, sisäänvedettävät laskutelineet, sisäiset sensori/asesäiliöt) ja kykenevät 36-40 tunnin operaatioihin. Samoin molempia voidaan ohjata satelliitin kautta joka mahdollistaa yli horisontin tehtävät lennot ilman ohjausta ilmasta.
Molemmat koneet on suunniteltu Iran-tyyppisiin, Israelin rajoista kaukana oleviin tiedustelu/iskutehtäviin ja molemmilla on riittävä toimintaetäisyys myös Sudaniin.
Kannattaa huomioida lihavoitu teksti.
Hermes 900 on täynnä tiedusteluvälineistöä joka pystyisi hoitamaan tiedustelun, maalinhaun sekä "post-strike-assesment" eli jälkiraportoinnin.
Heron TP (UCAV-tehtävässä) pystyy kantamaan 2 kpl 1000 paunan JDAM pommia tai enemmän SDB-pommeja. Mahdollista on myös että iskussa käytettiin vain Heron TP:ä eri konfiguraatioissa (tiedustelu + isku).