The IAI Searcher (also known by the Hebrew name מרומית Meyromit – “Marsh tern”, or officially in Israel as the חוגלה Hugla – “Alectoris”) is a reconnaissance UAV developed in Israel in the 1980s. In the following decade, it replaced the IMI Mastiff and IAI Scout UAVs then in service with the Israeli Army.
Design
The Searcher looks almost identical to the Scout and Pioneer, but is in fact scaled up and is well over twice the size of the Scout. The Searcher is powered by a 35 kW (47 hp) piston engine. The new design features updated avionics and sensor systems with greater flight endurance as well as increased redundancy for improved survivability. In addition to Israel, the system had been exported and is currently in use by Russia, India, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Thailand and Turkey.
Specifications
| Crew: | 0 |
| Capacity: | 68 kg (150 lb) payload |
| Length: | 5.85 m (19 ft 2 in) |
| Wingspan: | 8.54 m (28 ft 0 in) |
| Height: |
1.25 m (4 ft 1 in) |
| Gross weight: | 500 kg (1,100 lb) |
| Powerplant: |
1 × Limbach L 550 , 35 kW (47 hp) |
| Maximum speed: |
200 km/h (125 mph, 109 kn) |
| Endurance: |
18 hours |
| Service ceiling: |
6,100 m (20,000 ft) |
