Israel Aerospace Industries
Israel Aerospace Industries (Hebrew: התעשייה האווירית לישראל ha-ta'asiya ha-avirit le-yisra'el) or IAI (תע"א ta`a') is Israel's prime aerospace and aviation manufacturer, producing aerial systems for both military and civilian usage. It has 16,000 employees as of 2007.
In addition to local construction of fighter aircraft, IAI also designs and builds civil aircraft (for Gulfstream as the G100/G150 and G200/G250 mid-sized business jets) and performs local maintenance and reconfiguration of foreign-built military and civilian aircraft. In addition, the company works on a number of missile, avionics, and space-based systems. In 2003, Israel Aircraft Industries attempted to enter the VLJ (Very Light Jet) Market, by launching the Avocet ProJet, a 6-8 seat, high utilization air taxi, with a list price almost half the cost of the least expensive business jet available at that time.
In early 2006, the ProJet stalled after a major undisclosed US OEM pulled out of the program due to unspecified reasons.
Although IAI's main focus is aviation and high-tech electronics, it also manufactures military systems for ground and naval forces. Many of these products are specially suited for the Israel Defence Forces needs, while others are also marketed to foreign militaries.
On November 6, 2006, Israel Aircraft Industries Ltd. ("IAI") officially changed its corporate name to Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. The purpose of the name change is to more accurately reflect the current scope of IAI's business activities, which today includes not just aircraft, but also systems, satellites and launchers, as well as maritime and ground systems.
The company is currently working with the Aviation Technology Group on a military trainer version of the ATG Javelin, a fighter style personal jet. The version being developed is expected to compete against a large field of jet trainers at a much lower cost of acquisition and maintenance.
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[edit] Products
[edit] Civilian Air systems
- Arava - medium sized STOL transport aircraft (no longer in production)
- Westwind business jet (no longer in production)
- Astra/Galaxy business jets (now produced for Gulfstream Aerospace as the G100/G200)
- IAI Avocet ProJet Revolutionary Very Light Jet [1] (program cancelled)
- Conversion of passenger aircraft to cargo aircraft
- B737-300
- B767-200
- B747-200
- B747-400
- Other models in development
- 'Flight Guard' infrared countermeasures system against MANPAD anti-aircraft missiles[1]
[edit] Military air systems
- Lavi - an Israeli fighter jet, abandoned when the United States refused to fund a F-16 competitor.[2]
- Kfir - fighter jet
- Nesher - fighter jet , derivative of the French Mirage 5
- UAV's - unmanned aerial vehicles, manufactured by IAI's MALAT division:
- Rafael Python 5 air-to-air missile (together with Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd.)
- Upgrades to F-16 and F-15, and MiG-21 jet fighters
- Upgrades to Sikorsky CH-53 Yas'ur in project "Yas'ur 2000"
- Avionics upgrades for the Ka-50-2 Erdogan gunship in collaboration with Kamov
- Phalcon air surveillance system
- Eitam
[edit] Ground defense systems
- IDF Caterpillar D9R's armor kit
- Nimrod and LAHAT ATGMs
- JUMPER System[3] (See also XM501 Non-Line-of-Sight Launch System)
[edit] Ground transportation
- Assembly of IC3 diesel multiple unit trains and double-decker railway coaches under license from Bombardier Transportation
[edit]
- Gabriel missile sea-to-sea missile
- Super Dvora Mk-III patrol boat [2]
[edit] Aerospace systems
- EROS, Amos and Ofeq Satellite series
- Arrow anti-ballistic missile defence system
- Shavit space launcher
- Middle East Newsline has reported that IAI will launch one or more CubeSats by the end of 2008.[4]
- TecSAR reconnaissance satellite, launched on 21 January 2008[5]
[edit] Manufacturing plants
- Systems, Missiles & Space Group
- Malam - integration
- Mabat - missiles and satellites
- Tamam - inertial guidance and electro-optic systems
- Military Aircraft Group
- Lahav - aircraft upgrades
- Mata - helicopter upgrades
- Golan Industries - crash survival seats and other aircraft parts
- Malat - Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
- Elta - Radars, electronic warfare and ELINT
- Bedek Aviation Group - MRO
- Aircraft Division - Conversion of passenger aircraft to cargo aircraft, heavy aircraft maintenance, Fleet Maintenance
- Engines Division - Repair and overhaul of civil and military aircraft engines (P&W, GE)
- Components Division - Repair and overhaul of civil and military aircraft components (APU, Landing Gear, CSD etc).
- Commercial Aircraft Group
- Ramta - railcars, patrol boats, armor kits for engineering vehicles etc.
- Aerostructures -
- Shahal - landing gear and other aircraft parts
- Technologies -
- Business Jets -
- Engineering Division - aircraft manufacturing and integration
- Aerostructures -
[edit] Foreign sales
On April 13, 2009, the Moscow Times reported that the Russian Defense Ministry had signed an agreement with Israel Aerospace to purchase $50 million in pilotless drone aircraft. The contract reportedly includes three types of UAVs manufactured by the company.[6]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ "IAI/Elta's "Flight Guard" Commercial Aircraft Protection System Funded". Israeli Aerospace Industries. September 8, 2003. http://www.iai.co.il/Default.aspx?docID=25873&FolderID=28973&lang=en&PageNum=3.
- ^ The United States and the LAVI, Airpower Journal Vol. IV, No. 3, (Fall 1990): 34-44, Lt Col James P. DeLoughry, USAF
- ^ JUMPER
- ^ "ISRAEL PLANS NANO-SATELLITE LAUNCH". Middle East Newsline. http://www.menewsline.com/stories/2007/may/05_17_4.html.
- ^ Tran, Mark (2008-01-21). "Israel launches new satellite to spy on Iran". Guardian Unlimited (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/iran/story/0,,2244324,00.html. Retrieved 22 January 2008.
- ^ Combined Dispatches, "Red-Faced Military Buys Israeli Drones", Moscow Times, April 13, 2009.
[edit] External links
- Israel Aerospace Industries - official site.
- MBT Space Division
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