India leases four Heron TP MALE UAVs from Israel.

The Indian Army has leased four  Heron TP medium-altitude, long endurance (MALE) Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) from Israel as part of its emergency procurement programme.

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HERON TP MALE UAV Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. (Picture source: IAI)

The lease comes with the defence ministry changing the rules and allowing for the leasing of certain weapon systems. Similarly, the Navy has leased Predator drones from the United States.

The Heron TP was designed as a multi-mission platform to address local and international customers' needs and to perform a variety of strategic missions, including intelligence gathering, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance, using various payloads, with a high level of reliability.

It has a length of 14 m and features an all-composite airframe with high-wing cantilever monoplane design. This UAV is able to carry 1,000 kg of payload including electro-optical targeting system, infrared cameras, and laser range finder. The Heron TP MALE is powered by Pratt & Whitney PT6A-67A turboprop engine developing 1,200 hp with a maximum flying range of 1,000 km and a maximum altitude of 45,000 ft (13,700 m).