English: Heron TP comes to Germany

As part of the further development of the German Heron TP (Turboprop) project, the unmanned aerial vehicle will also be used in Germany in the future. To implement this project, it was necessary to adapt the existing operator contract. A corresponding amendment was signed today by the President of the Federal Office for Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support of the Bundeswehr (BAAINBw), Annette Lehnigk-Emden, and representatives of the company Airbus DS Airborne Solutions (ADAS) GmbH.

"We are pleased that by adapting the operator contract, we have laid the foundation for the use of the German Heron TP in Germany. The system will provide valuable reconnaissance data to the troops in the future and thus contribute to the security of Germany in the context of national and alliance defense as well as information security," said Lehnigk-Emden on the occasion of the contract signing.

German Heron TP covers the capability domains of reconnaissance and effect. Planned as a successor to the HERON 1 system, it will serve as an interim solution until the introduction of the European MALE RPAS. The system has a wide range of sensors that allow the creation of reconnaissance results independently of weather conditions. Unlike its predecessor model and to protect troop movements, the German Heron TP is capable of being armed.

The system currently consists of five unmanned aerial vehicles and four ground control stations, which can ensure both basic operations for training and exercises as well as possible operational commitments. The systems will demonstrate their capabilities with 300 flight hours within a six-month demonstration operation in Jagel, Schleswig-Holstein. An extension of the flight operations for another six months is also possible through the contract, as well as the provision and operation of additional hardware.

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