Yesterday the Israeli Air Force (IAF) took the wraps off a new unmanned aerial vehicle the size of a Boeing 737, which is capable of staying in the air for up to 20 hours. The “super drone,” known as “Eitan” (Hebrew for “strong”) is also able to take off and land automatically.
While most news sources note that the drones will be used for “surveillance,” they also mention the craft can carry “diverse payloads.” In the news stories I’ve read, Israeli military officials haven’t commented extensively on the platform’s bombing capabilities, but have noted that it is “versatile.”
Given its size and capabilities, I wonder if Eitan will provide Israel with the long-range bombing capacity the IAF has lacked – until now.