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Israel Israel Aerospace Industries
Searcher Mk III
The latest-generation member of IAI's medium-altitude, long-endurance Searcher family of tactical ISR UAVs, providing reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition for army and border-security operators. Predecessor of the larger Heron series.
In service since 2007 · 12 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
300
km range
6,100
m ceiling
Pricing: Unit cost not publicly disclosed
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
Israeli export-licensed
Israeli MoD (DECA/SIBAT) licensing; active export programme.
Channel: Direct commercial / G2G
Fielded & proven
Established · 12 operators
In service since 2007. Status: active.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
No public unit price to model from.
Interoperability
No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.
Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
- Cruise speed
Sustained economical speed. Determines transit time to station.
- 200 km/h Stronger than 74% of UAVs
- Range
Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.
- 300 km Stronger than 45% of UAVs
- Service ceiling
Maximum operating altitude. Higher gives energy advantage and sensor horizon.
- 6,100 m Stronger than 46% of UAVs
- Endurance
Time on station. Critical for UAVs and patrol platforms, higher means longer persistent coverage.
- 18 h Stronger than 53% of UAVs
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
- Length
Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.
- 5.85 m
- Wingspan
Wingtip-to-wingtip span.
- 8.55 m
- Combat weight
Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.
- 436 kg
- Crew
Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity.
- 0
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
- Propulsion type
Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…
- Piston engine, pusher propeller
Sensors & avionics
Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.
- Sensors
IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights.
- Electro-optical/infrared payload, Synthetic aperture radar (variant)
- Datalink
Network connectivity: Link 16, MADL, national datalinks. Enables cooperative engagement.
- LOS datalink
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
- Operator countries
Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.
- 12 Stronger than 84% of UAVs
Specifications compiled from public Israel Aerospace Industries and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
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General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-9A Reaper Frequently asked questions
What is the range of the Israel Aerospace Industries Searcher Mk III? +
The Israel Aerospace Industries Searcher Mk III has a maximum range of 300 km.
How much does the Israel Aerospace Industries Searcher Mk III weigh? +
The Israel Aerospace Industries Searcher Mk III has a combat weight of 436 kg.
How many crew does the Israel Aerospace Industries Searcher Mk III require? +
The Israel Aerospace Industries Searcher Mk III requires a crew of 0.
What is the Israel Aerospace Industries Searcher Mk III used for? +
The Israel Aerospace Industries Searcher Mk III is a uav / drone typically used for isr.
How many countries operate the Israel Aerospace Industries Searcher Mk III? +
The Israel Aerospace Industries Searcher Mk III is operated by 12 countries.
How much does the Israel Aerospace Industries Searcher Mk III cost? +
Israel Aerospace Industries Searcher Mk III: Unit cost not publicly disclosed. Defense program costs are rarely fully public and vary by contract and configuration.
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