The IAI Scout, referred to in Israel by its Hebrew designation זהבן ("Oriole"), is an unmanned aerial vehicle designed for reconnaissance purposes. Developed during the 1970s by Israel Aircraft Industries, it was created to rival the Tadiran Mastiff. The development team, headed by Charley Attali, David Harari, and Michael Shefer, received the prestigious 1981 Israel Defense Prize for their work.
In the course of the 1970s, as the Israeli defense forces showed growing interest in UAVs for battlefield reconnaissance, IAI's leadership eventually embraced this emerging technology. The Scout's design featured a configuration comparable to that of the Mastiff, incorporating a pusher propeller and a twin-boom tail assembly.
During the 1982 Lebanon War, Israeli forces faced significant threats from Syriansurface-to-air missile (SAM) installations heavily positioned throughout Lebanon's Bekaa Valley. All 28 SAM sites within the Bekaa were neutralized during Operation Mole Cricket 19, a success achieved partly by employing Samson decoys to provoke SAM activation, and through intelligence gathered by Mastiff and Scout UAVs.
The effectiveness of Israeli battlefield UAVs gained notable attention, particularly from the US military following its involvement in Lebanon in 1983. This interest resulted in a 1984 request from the US Navy for a tactical UAV, prompting Tadiran and IAI to collaborate on a proposal. This partnership led to the creation of an IAI division called "Mazlat" (an acronym in Hebrew for Miniature UAV), later renamed "Malat."
Because the US military generally prefers domestic suppliers, foreign companies often partner with American firms to facilitate sales. Tadiran had previously cooperated with AAI to market the Mastiff in the United States, making AAI a natural collaborator. Together, Mazlat and AAI developed the Pioneer UAV, which secured the contract. Since then, Malat has continued advancing battlefield UAV technology and has partnered with companies like AAI on further developments.
Following the streamlining of Mastiff and Scout production, Malat continued offering updated versions of these drones for more than ten years. Both models feature fixed landing gear and typically operate from runways, utilizing arresting-wire hooks for short landings. Alternatively, they can be launched via hydraulic catapults mounted on trucks and retrieved using nets. Their payloads include imaging sensors housed in turrets beneath the fuselage.
This entry incorporates content originally sourced from the online article Template:Usurped authored by Greg Goebel, which is available in the Public Domain.
