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The remotely piloted aircraft has been certified by the German military aviation authority.
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The German Heron TP (GHTP) — a joint German-Israeli remotely piloted aircraft system (RPAS) project contracted to Airbus and IAI for modification, production and operation by the German Airforce — has secured a Type certificate from the German Military Aviation Authority (GMAA).
The Heron TP MALE is billed as a medium altitude, long-endurance, strategic, versatile and multiple-payload RPAS.
The Type certificate — which follows an intensive process led by Airbus DS Airborne Solutions GmbH (ADAS), a wholly owned subsidiary of Airbus — confirms compliance with the latest version of military airworthiness standard (STANAG 4671).
The certification process involved adaptations of multiple systems to be compliant with the required standards, compilation and review of hundreds of documents and multiple reviews and test.
These were conducted in close cooperation between GMAA, ADAS and IAI amid disruption during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Together, we have achieved a true milestone,” director-general of GMAA, Major General Dr Jan Kuebart, said.
“The German Heron TP has become the first UAV in the German armed forces and probably the first UAV in the world to fully comply with an internationally agreed airworthiness code.
“It is probably the first unmanned aircraft system which fully complies to the latest revision of NATO’s airworthiness code. This huge success could only be achieved by a high degree of professionalism on all sides and a close and excellent coorporation (sic) of the involved industry partners and authorities.”
Airbus DS Airborne Solitons GmbH chief executive officer (CEO) Tim Behrens, added: “The Type certificate for GHTP is the result of common effort and close cooperation between the customer, our companies and nations and marks a cornerstone in the RPAS class which has never been achieved before.
“We are very proud that we can deliver to our customer, the German Armed Forces, a high-performance system according to the latest standards to support their mission-related needs.”
According to IAI president and CEO Boaz Levy, the Type certificate paves the way for the GHTP worldwide operation by the German Armed Forces.
“We thank the IMOD and our partners at Airbus for their collaboration in the project, which delivered the most advanced system for the operational needs and requirements of the German Air Force,” he said.
[Related: IAI receives DroneGuard ComJam contract ]
