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Forpost ISR

2014 MODERN AIRCRAFT DRONE TECHNOLOGY

History

Few military powers in the world have experience using drones on active battlefields like Israel. Part of their victory over Syria in the 1982 Lebanon War was the effective use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), so it's no surprise that the country is at the forefront of modern drone design, development and production, among other world powers to have it in its disposition notice.

Russia, for example, acquired IAI's Searcher drone and manufactured this Israeli product under license from Forpost, based on a production design that later became known as the Searcher II, an upgraded version of IAI's 1998 launch. Second generation model.

Drones have proven to be ideal on the modern battlefield, especially against less advanced enemies. It's a booming industry and a hot commodity for any world-class military power, with manufacturers popping up to sell their wares to any interested buyer.

Some are light and manual fired, some are medium range and catapult fired. Some are designed as one-shot suicide machines, while others are large, similar developments that can hover over disputed territory for hours.

Forpost falls under the standard Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance (ISR) category. Its form and function are broadly similar to those of the Searcher family. An elevated monoplane wing assembly is present, while the interior cargo bay contains mission support equipment. Optical matches can be seen on the belly, while radar matches are identified along the aircraft's dorsal spine.

A 47-horsepower engine was located in the rear of the fuselage in a "propeller" configuration, driving a three-bladed propeller. Forpost retains the original double boom, double tail unit and fixed wheeled landing gear.

Performance specs are the same as Searcher II: 125 mph top speed, mission duration window of approximately 18 hours, and service ceiling up to 20,000 feet.

Forpost has seen combat action over Ukraine and possibly Syria, and Russian interest and direct involvement continues to grow.