On 7 July, A.S. Avionics Services, the Brazilian affiliated company of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) officially launched the CAÇADOR Class 4 Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) UAS (Unmanned Aerial System). A demonstration flight and real-time monitoring took place the week before in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
The CAÇADOR UAV is designed to meet the specific and advanced requirements of Brazil with its special strategic interests. It has complied with all regulations and obtained all permits required by the Brazilian government authorities. CAÇADOR is based on the HERON-1 UAS, operated by more than 20 customers worldwide and developed by IAI. HERON has been in operation with the Brazilian Federal Police since 2010. The Federal Police Department has accumulated a significant amount of operational experience with the HERON UAS, which allows it to operate the system in a variety of complex scenarios. Avionics Services is preforming the maintenance for the Brazilian HERON.
IAI and Avionics Services signed a cooperation agreement in 2013 and have been working together since to establish a strong, independent Brazilian industrial base in the area of UAS. This includes the transfer of technology and know-how to ensure more expertise in advanced and complex unmanned systems. Avionics Services has developed the necessary infrastructure at the Airdrome of Botucatu for it to become a center of excellence for unmanned systems of this category.
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| CAÇADOR is a MALE UAS capable of flying for more than 40 hours at an altitude of up to 30,000ft with a range 1,000 kilometres. The maximum takeoff weight is 1,270kg, allowing CAÇADOR to carry multiple payloads simultaneously for a variety of missions. The UAS includes a wideband satellite communication channel for a range over 1,000km from its command and control station, according to the company, a valuable feature, particularly for large countries such as Brazil. (Photos: IAI) |
The CAÇADOR UAV is designed to meet the specific and advanced requirements of Brazil with its special strategic interests. It has complied with all regulations and obtained all permits required by the Brazilian government authorities. CAÇADOR is based on the HERON-1 UAS, operated by more than 20 customers worldwide and developed by IAI. HERON has been in operation with the Brazilian Federal Police since 2010. The Federal Police Department has accumulated a significant amount of operational experience with the HERON UAS, which allows it to operate the system in a variety of complex scenarios. Avionics Services is preforming the maintenance for the Brazilian HERON.
IAI and Avionics Services signed a cooperation agreement in 2013 and have been working together since to establish a strong, independent Brazilian industrial base in the area of UAS. This includes the transfer of technology and know-how to ensure more expertise in advanced and complex unmanned systems. Avionics Services has developed the necessary infrastructure at the Airdrome of Botucatu for it to become a center of excellence for unmanned systems of this category.
