Germany. Schleswig-Holstein State. Fliegerhorst Schleswig (also called Schleswig-Jagel). Fliegerhorst Schleswig is an airbase of the German Air Force, home to the unit: Aufklärungsgeschwader 51 "Immelmann" (AKG 51). On the wall, a picture of IAI Heron drone used by the german army. The photo was shot on the air base of Mazār-i-Sharīf in Afghanistan. At hallway's end, restrooms's door. The IAI Heron (Machatz-1) is a medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) developed by the Malat (UAV) division of Israel Aerospace Industries. It is capable of Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) operations of up to 52 hours' duration at up to 10.5 km (35,000 ft). It has demonstrated 52 hours of continuous flight, but the effective operational maximal flight duration is less, according to payload and flight profile. The Heron navigates using an internal GPS navigation device, and either a pre-programmed flight profile (in which case the system is fully autonomous from takeoff to landing), manual override from a ground control station, or a combination of both. It can autonomously return to base and land in case of lost communication with the ground station. The system has fully automatic launch and recovery (ALR) and all-weather capabilities. A soldier points his finger to the various electronics components on the drone. The Heron can carry an array of sensors, including thermographic camera (infrared) and visible-light airborne ground surveillance, intelligence systems (COMINT and ELINT) and various radar systems, totaling up to 250 kg (550 lb). The Heron is also capable of target acquisition and artillery adjustment. The German Air Force (Luftwaffe) is the aerial warfare branch of the Bundeswehr, the armed forces of Germany. 3.02.2020 © 2020 Didier Ruef