From Yemen to Iran: Israel’s new $1 billion spy plane is a war game changer

The American-manufactured aircraft can execute numerous intelligence missions simultaneously. For instance, it can clandestinely monitor a high-ranking official in Rafah, pinpoint the origin of a ballistic missile in Yemen, identify a weapons convoy between Iraq and Syria, locate a suspect near a nuclear reactor in Iran, and track a vehicle carrying senior officials that must be neutralized in the heart of Beirut’s Dahieh – all within a single sortie

By Yoav Zitun, CTECH/CALCALIST                                                     26 March 2024

The Oron Spy Plane/(Ministry of Defense)

Less than half a year after its debut at the Paris Air Show, the Israeli Air Force’s new intelligence aircraft became operational in the midst of the war. The Ministry of Defense capitalized on the conflict to expedite the operational assimilation process, typically lasting months, to mere days. At the conclusion, the Air Force declared the Oron aircraft fully operational.

Ynet and “Yedioth Ahronoth” have learned that the new and advanced intelligence aircraft, of which only major powers possess similar models, has already logged hundreds of operational flight hours in various theaters in recent weeks, totaling close to 100 missions. In each sortie from the Nahshon squadron (122), the American-manufactured aircraft can execute numerous intelligence missions simultaneously.

For instance, the aircraft can escort a divisional arrest operation in Jenin, clandestinely monitor a high-ranking official in Rafah, pinpoint the origin of a ballistic missile in Yemen, identify a weapons convoy between Iraq and Syria, locate a suspect near a nuclear reactor in Iran, and track a vehicle carrying senior officials that must be neutralized in the heart of Beirut’s Dahieh – all within a single sortie. Like the two other intelligence aircraft in the Nahshon squadron, the Eitam (specializing in control and surveillance missions) and the Shavit (specializing in reconnaissance missions), the Oron also operates at the highest altitude among all Air Force planes, surpassing 40,000 feet.

In recent months, the Oron has evolved into a multi-mission and multi-armed aircraft. Each operational sortie, typically lasting between 5 and 10 hours and covering ranges of about a thousand kilometers, serves the Intelligence Division, the Air Force, and the Navy’s missions simultaneously and in real time. The Oron can execute independent missions and operate as part of integrated operations alongside fighter planes, navy ships, and even submarines.

Equipped with thousands of advanced sensors, the Oron scans vast and remote terrain cells, gathering an unprecedented amount of information for the IDF from a single collection vessel and at considerable distances from Israel or the targets being tracked. Some of the targets can be hundreds of kilometers away from the aircraft, which initially flew visibly as part of Israel’s deterrence strategy in the Middle East.

Plans are underway to acquire another similar aircraft in the coming years, following the arrival of the Eitam and Shavit in the Air Force in 2006 and 2010, respectively. Although some missions are considered tactical, the Oron is classified as a strategic aircraft for Israel. Its development was preceded by a dispute within the defense establishment over the project’s cost, estimated at around one billion dollars, a substantial budget that some in the military believed should be allocated to other operational resources.

Boaz Levy, CEO of Israel Aerospace Industries, the aircraft’s developer, stated, “IAI is proud of developing and producing the Oron aircraft, joining the Air Force’s Nahshon squadron alongside the intelligence aircraft ‘Shavit’ and ‘Eitam’.” He credited the breakthrough in intelligence aircraft to the company’s engineers, who developed technologies for miniaturizing sensing systems, algorithms, and software applications based on artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Levy emphasized, “In an era of abundant intelligence information, the system effectively processes vast data from multiple sensors, automatically transforming it into actionable intelligence to support decision-making. The Oron aircraft is pivotal in maintaining Israel’s intelligence supremacy, particularly amid escalating security threats. IAI will continue to support and bolster Israel’s security system.”