EADS Harfang

Lore & Background

The French Air Force purchased its first drones in 1995 with multiple RQ-5 Hunter units. Interest in the IAI Heron, displayed at the 1999 Paris Air Show, led to a project to field a derivative two years later. A prototype was launched for trials from Istres-Le Tubé Air Base on 9 September 2006, followed by trials by the Centre d'essais en vol before transfer to Mont-de-Marsan Air Base. Originally planned for delivery in summer 2003 as a Hunter replacement (the Hunters were phased out in September 2004), industrial setbacks delayed delivery, notably because the satellite communication system did not conform with Air Force requirements. The drones were modified from an off-the-shelf product into a custom plane built for the French Air Force. The plane and onboard computer were built by Malat, a division of Israel Aerospace Industries, based on the IAI Heron.

The Harfang drone is propelled by a rear-mounted turbo-supercharged water-cooled flat-four engine driving a pusher propeller. It has a flapped high wing with anti-icing system and a twin boom tail with two vertical surfaces. The mission pack is a three-sensor gyroscope-stabilised sphere mounted under the forward fuselage, containing optronic and IR sensors, a laser designator/rangefinder, and a high-resolution synthetic aperture radar with fixed echo suppression. The radar can observe vehicle movement under any meteorological condition. The drone carries an inertial measurement unit with GPS recalibration and differential GPS for automatic take-off and landing. In case of lost communications, it follows a path back to its start point while trying to re-establish contact. It lacks electromagnetic sensors and is limited by bad weather, notably icing or high humidity.

The control station comprises four modules: M1 (mission preparation, based on a Mirage 2000 briefing station), M2 (command and control, used mostly during take-off and landing), M3 (data collection via satellite communication), and M4 (military intelligence centre). A line-of-sight link allows direct communication up to 150–200 km; longer ranges use a directional antenna and geostationary satellites. VHF and UHF communication relays provide links to ground units and air traffic control.

Reader's Guide

The Harfang served as an interim medium-altitude, long-endurance drone system for the French Air Force, bridging the gap between the RQ-5 Hunter and later MQ-9 Reapers. Its operational history included deployments for security during Pope Benedict XVI's 2007 visit to Lourdes, in Afghanistan from February 2009 (where one drone was damaged in a crash due to freezing and possible human or software error), in the Libyan conflict in August 2011, and in Operation Serval in Mali from January 2013, where it flew 1,600 hours by June 2013 and 2,000 hours by September 2013. By 2016, Harfangs were used for homeland security missions in mainland France. The French Air Force retired all Harfangs in early 2018. In 2020, the three UAVs were delivered to Morocco, which had purchased them in 2014 for $48 million. France intended to replace the Harfang by 2014 with MQ-9 Reaper UAVs ordered in 2013. The Harfang's significance lies in its role as a customised derivative of the IAI Heron, adapted to French requirements despite industrial delays, and its service in multiple theatres before retirement and sale.

Did You Know?

• It was derived from the IAI Heron and built by Malat, a division of Israel Aerospace Industries.
• One Harfang crashed in Afghanistan in early 2009 due to freezing and possibly human or software error.
• The three Harfangs were sold to Morocco in 2020 for $48 million.