Israeli defence company Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) is considering another bid to sell advanced unmanned aircraft to Australia even though it lost out to the US General Atomics SkyGuardian in the first round.
Australia wanted to buy 12 SkyGuardians, gaining US approval for the deal worth around US$1.651 billion in April 2021.
But in March last year, the then coalition government pulled the plug, cancelling the deal and redirecting the funds to improving cyber defences.
The Australian Defence Force now operates small tactical UAVs and will soon acquire the first Northrop Grumman Triton for high altitude long range maritime surveillance – but nothing in the middle and certainly no armed UAV.
With a Labor government now in power and a new strategic defence study under way, it’s anticipated the acquisition of armed UAVs will be resurrected.
In the contest in which General Atomics emerged victorious, IAI pitched its Heron TP, a medium altitude long endurance armed UAV in service with the Israeli Defence Force and unspecified other countries.
The ADF had operated Heron TP’s predecessor in Afghanistan so was familiar with the capability. It was also familiar with the General Atomics Reaper from posting of Australian personnel with American UAV units.
One strike against Heron TP may have been that it could not provide assured secure access to ally networks, especially US networks, which Reaper could.
With the prospect of a new competition, IAI is offering a pair of Heron TP offspring, Heron Mark II and Maritime Heron.
Ron Tryfus, IAI senior vice-president for future growth engines, said the company was interested.
“We have a very strong platform that we have sold all over the world,” he said.
“I am not sure that we are cheaper than them (General Atomics) but we are more flexible in the different payloads we can operate.”
Tryfus said Heron systems could now be fully integrated with US networks.
“It is not a problem. We have contacts with different companies in the US that can provide communication in a way that we can be fully compliant with the US standards.”
Tryfus said the capability provided by a medium altitude long endurance UAV complemented the Tritons Australia was acquiring.
“Our UAVs are much more cost effective per hour of operation, carry a big variety of payloads, with provision for other missions as well,” he said.