"Tactical Unmanned Aerial Systems Will Be a Key Element in the Future Battlefield"

The IDF has been making operational use of UASs since the 1970s, but the current war in the middle east since October 7th has brought this use to a peak. Unmanned aerial systems are used for a variety of missions – surveillance, intelligence, reconnaissance and more.

The use of UASs is, of course, not unique to the Middle Eastern arena. In the Russia-Ukraine war it has been used extensively, and reflects well the transformations that have taken place on the battlefield, with the ever-increasing transition to the use of autonomous or semi-autonomous platforms that changed significantly the mission capabilities and above all, keep the forces protected. In this sense, the current conflicts serve as a kind of a laboratory for testing the capabilities of these systems and offer a glimpse into the future battlefield.

Playing a central role in the development and production of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) is the Aeronautics Group, which has been operating in local and international defense and homeland security markets since 1997. "Since the outbreak of the Gaza war, the company has provided huge support to the IDF's activities and in many aspects," says Dan Slasky, President and CEO of the Aeronautics Group. "All this while advancing our commitment and deliveries to our international customers. Approximately 70% of our activities are exported to the global market, where the demand for advanced and battle proven unmanned systems has been steadily increasing in recent years. All this occurred when approximately 30% of our employees were called up for reserve duty during the peak period. We supported, and we continue to support, our reservists and their families, but no doubt that this was a challenge in the beginning."

How much did you have to shorten development processes to meet the demand during the war?

"The beauty of our system designs is that they are built with a modular aerodynamic and system architecture, allowing us to efficiently add new capabilities to the building blocks as needed, in a swift and telescopic manner, enabling quick turnaround to the customer. This advantage has enabled us to rapidly respond to the demands that arise from the field."

The war met Aeronautics at the tail end of a strategic process which formulated a an action plan for the next five years. One of the insights from this process is the need to develop the next generation of loitering munitions, which has become a very significant tool on the battlefield. "We have developed a unique solution that combines together a UAS and a loitering munition system," Slasky says. "One such example is the Orbiter 2 LM (Loitering Munition) system, which combines the functionality of loitering munitions with the intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance capabilities of a UAS. The system has several hours of airborne endurance and offers high mission flexibility, responding to various operational scenarios including providing solutions to the uncertainty typically prevalent on the battlefield, especially those requiring a rapid response to short windows of opportunity to engage targets."

Among the advanced features of the system, the CEO lists full functionality in areas without GPS and the use of secure communication technologies. The system also supports full connectivity to external command and control systems, allowing effective integration with other systems on the battlefield.

"This innovative operational system is of the Sensor-to-Shooter type, which is based on two UASs – such as Orbiter 2 ISR and Orbiter 2 LM. The systems work in full synergy, which gives them combined operational capability and enhanced mission versatility," he elaborates. "This means the systems can collect intelligence, locate targets with high precision, and perform battle damage assessment (BDA). This combination empowers the forces in the field, with intelligence and precision strike capabilities, ensuring optimal execution of numerous missions while minimizing to near zero any collateral damage. Customers who are already deploying the Orbiter 2 system, can now expand their capabilities by integrating the loitering munition system, which seamlessly interfaces with their current command and control system. This development represents a significant advancement in tactical unmanned aerial systems, and meets the evolving needs of modern warfare. More such systems are in advanced stages of development."

Another system introduced by the group is the Orbiter 4 with flexible vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capability. According to the CEO, the VTOL system provides multi- mission capabilities and offers a high level of flexibility for all types of terrain. The system enables tactical forces with the ability to adapt the Orbiter 4 to optimal mission profiles whenever and wherever required. The operator can choose whether to launch and land the unmanned system using the traditional Orbiter 4 (launcher and parachute) with the ability to stay airborne for extended periods of time, or rapidly attach the VTOL kit for precise takeoff and landing with slightly reduced endurance.

"The Orbiter 4 family, both launcher and VTOL versions, provides significant operational performance as one of the top performers in the tactical market today including for long endurance, and operational flexibility," Slasky notes. "This is an advanced, multi-mission tactical unmanned platform with the ability to carry a variety of payloads, along with exceptional airborne endurance and performance in challenging weather conditions. It is also important to note that the system is suitable for both land and sea operations which increases its intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISTAR) capabilities."

Another innovative development from Aeronautics is the Hybrid Octoper™, which is a high end drone with eight blades and a unique propulsion system that includes both an electric motor and an internal combustion engine, allowing longer endurance and the ability to carry heavy loads. The result is a significantly extended mission endurance time of up to four hours, with multiple payload capabilities of up to 10Kg.

"This innovative drone is capable of staying airborne for a significantly longer period of time because there is no need for frequent battery changes, while maintaining critical continuous surveillance capability during complex missions," emphasizes the CEO of Aeronautics. "The Hybrid Octoper also enables high survivability and seamless integration with various sensors and payloads for diverse mission versatility. It operates on the basis of the customer's C4I capabilities, supports autonomous landing, navigates in a GPS-denied environment with encrypted communication and includes advanced video processing."

An organizational climate that encourages innovation

Aeronautics is a subsidiary of Rafael. The CEO points out that the connection with Rafael is both strategic and synergistic on many aspects. All this while maintaining the company's full business independence and its unique DNA.

The Aeronautics Group currently employs over 1,200 people, in Israel and abroad, and includes five subsidiaries, including Controp, Magal and Commtact, which operate in Israel, and two more companies that operate abroad. Slasky, who has been CEO of the Aeronautics Group for about a year and a half, has a long resume in the defense industries. Before being appointed to his current position, he served for over five years as the CEO of SCD, which specializes in the development and production of infrared detectors and systems for defense and commercial applications. Prior to that, he held senior positions at Elbit Systems, including as Senior Vice President for airborne electro-optical systems and lasers.

As a company operating in a very competitive arena, particularly regarding innovation, do you encourage employees to develop technological innovation, and if so, how?

"First of all, innovation is deeply embedded in our organizational DNA where our strategy is aimed at providing innovative solutions for our customers, specifically geared toward the tactical capabilities. Regarding your question – the answer is yes. We encourage our employees to innovate, but more importantly in my opinion is that we have developed an organizational climate that fosters innovation. This means that there is an open atmosphere that encourages people to take risks and not be afraid of failure. There is a full understanding that this is part of the process. We constantly encourage employees to push the boundaries to the limits. This is part of our DNA."

Is the high-tech crisis bringing people to your company?

"Not necessarily. People come to us mostly because they want to do something meaningful in their lives. This has become all the more apparent since October 7th. People want to contribute, to engage in something meaningful and valuable. Our employees know that they are developing and producing systems that save lives and for many of them it's a mission. The human resource is the most important asset in our company."

Regarding development and innovation processes, do you develop systems according to the operational needs presented to you by end users, or do you also initiate innovative developments?

"There are several ways. We are always analyzing the battlefield and trying to assess what capabilities will be needed a few years from now. At the same time, we respond to the specific operational needs of our customers. During the development process, we spend a lot of time with the end users both locally and with our international customers to understand their needs. By the way, the fact that many of our employees were UAS operators during their military service (and some are still serving in the reserves in this capacity) and have gained knowledge and experience in the field, helps us both in understanding current needs and in developing the next generations of unmanned systems."

What is the vision? Where are you headed in the coming years?

"We aim to be the leading company in the field of tactical UASs and are directing our activities to achieve this goal - at the platform level, the mission systems level, the technology aspects and the required production capabilities. The goal is to continue to be at the forefront of technological innovation in this field. Another aspect, which is also part of the strategic plan we have formulated, is the increased emphasis on systems for maritime applications. The maritime arena, which was once quite marginal for the UAS world, is becoming more and more significant and central to the battlefield and requires diverse capabilities – on ships and other maritime platforms. Already today, most of our platforms can be launched and land on naval vessels of various types.

"Aeronautics has established a strong global reputation for providing cutting edge unmanned solutions enabling to meet the increased demand for autonomous capabilities. Today's conflicts worldwide show to what extent unmanned systems, and specifically tactical systems, will be a central element in the future battlefield."

In collaboration with Aeronautics

Dan Slasky | Photo: Aeronautics

"The beauty of our system is that they are built with a modular aerodynamic and system architecture, allowing us to efficiently add new capabilities to the building blocks as needed, in a swift and telescopic manner"

"The Orbiter 4 family, both launcher and VTOL versions, provides significant operational performance as one of the top performers in the tactical market today including long endurance, and operational flexibility. It is an advanced, multi-mission tactical unmanned platform with the ability to carry a variety of payloads, along with exceptional airborne endurance and performance in challenging weather conditions."