Israeli Rescue UAV Completes First Live Demo

Israeli aeronautics company Tactical Robotics Ltd. has completed a first live demonstration of its unmanned aerial rescue vehicle to representatives of the Israeli military, the company announced last week.

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The UAV, dubbed the "Cormorant,” can take-off and land vertically, fly inside obstructed terrains, and evacuate two people while being controlled remotely by operators on the ground.

Tactical Robotics, a wholly owned subsidiary of Urban Aeronautics Ltd., develops air vehicle configurations for military and homeland security uses. Based in central Israel, Urban Aeronautics is a developer and manufacturer of vertical take-off and landing (VTOL), multi-mission unmanned aircraft. The Cormorant, which is in late stages of development, can carry up to 1,000 pounds, has a flight range of 32 kilometers and a maximum speed of 160 kilometers per hour. It is designed for quick evacuation of injured soldiers from the battlefield, but could be used for evacuation of injured people from difficult and obstructed terrains such as mountainous, wooded, or dense urban areas.

Today, military casualties evacuation processes make heavy use of helicopters, but those make easy targets for anti-aircraft missiles and require wide landing area. The Cormorant, on the other hand, can land almost anywhere, is controlled remotely by operators on the ground, and is cheaper and easier to operate and maintain.