Israel Air Force Welcomes New UAV, Dubbed “Spark”
The advanced UAV will operate as part of the Squadron 144. IAF Chief: “We are taking another step forward”
Dan Arkin
| 12/09/2023
Photo: Israel Air Force website
The Israeli Air Force (IAF) received this week the new unmanned aircraft, dubbed “Spark”, developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Aeronautics as part of the "Storm Cloud" project.
A welcome ceremony for the Spark was held at the 144th Squadron, known as the Phoenix Squadron, at the Hatzor Air Force Base. The Spark UAV is designed for various missions, including intelligence, ground forces support, targeting, and more. Some of its specifications and capabilities are classified.
The 144th Squadron, which will operate the Spark, was originally established in 1972 as a combat squadron and was converted to a UAV squadron in 2022, reopening at the Hatzor Air Force Base. The project to develop the Spark, dubbed “Storm Clouds,” was led by the Administration for the Development of Weapons and Technological Infrastructure at the Ministry of Defense, Rafael and Aeronautics.
During the ceremony, the Commander of the Israeli Air Force, Major General Tomer Bar, stated, "We are taking another step forward, a day when the squadron will have even more aircraft and excellent servicemen." The commander of the 144th Squadron, Lieutenant Colonel A., added that “The Spark is a groundbreaking pillar of an innovative system that will dramatically change the balance of power in the future battlefield."
Rafael EVP Yuval Miller stated at the ceremony that the Spark is a significant force multiplier, while Dan Slasky, CEO of Aeronautics, called it a “strategic breakthrough that will change the future battlefield.”
The advanced UAV will operate as part of the Squadron 144. IAF Chief: “We are taking another step forward”
Photo: Israel Air Force website
The Israeli Air Force (IAF) received this week the new unmanned aircraft, dubbed “Spark”, developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Aeronautics as part of the "Storm Cloud" project.
A welcome ceremony for the Spark was held at the 144th Squadron, known as the Phoenix Squadron, at the Hatzor Air Force Base. The Spark UAV is designed for various missions, including intelligence, ground forces support, targeting, and more. Some of its specifications and capabilities are classified.
The 144th Squadron, which will operate the Spark, was originally established in 1972 as a combat squadron and was converted to a UAV squadron in 2022, reopening at the Hatzor Air Force Base. The project to develop the Spark, dubbed “Storm Clouds,” was led by the Administration for the Development of Weapons and Technological Infrastructure at the Ministry of Defense, Rafael and Aeronautics.
During the ceremony, the Commander of the Israeli Air Force, Major General Tomer Bar, stated, "We are taking another step forward, a day when the squadron will have even more aircraft and excellent servicemen." The commander of the 144th Squadron, Lieutenant Colonel A., added that “The Spark is a groundbreaking pillar of an innovative system that will dramatically change the balance of power in the future battlefield."
Rafael EVP Yuval Miller stated at the ceremony that the Spark is a significant force multiplier, while Dan Slasky, CEO of Aeronautics, called it a “strategic breakthrough that will change the future battlefield.”
