The Oron reconnaissance aircraft has played a vital intelligence gathering role since October 7, 2023 and in particular during the Iran operation in June, by providing early warnings, and supporting the conduct of attacks in real time. With these achievements in mind, on September 2, the Israel Defense Prize will be awarded to the Ministry of Defense Directorate of Defense Research and Development (DDR&D) (MAFAT), which was behind Oron's development.
Oron is Israel's newest surveillance aircraft, an extraordinary product of cooperation between the MAFAT, the Israel Aerospace Industries, and the IDF. The project took an US-made executive jet platform, the Gulfstream G-550, and converted it into a surveillance aircraft with a wealth of exceptional capabilities, including radars, cameras, and listening capabilities. The Oron's construction process was challenging because it was carried out in just a few days during a war, and yet it has since managed to produce results that give Israel a strategic advantage in real-time focused control and intelligence.
Colonel B., the head of MAFAT's systems department, says that throughout the war, Oron has been used to conduct numerous missions, including dozens against Iran. "The advantage of the system is that it is versatile. During a mission, we know how to be on several fronts, start in Gaza, continue in Lebanon, and even further away. We are able to carry out several missions, provide an independent strategic intelligence picture, and enable the required missions. Oron is relevant to all fronts." Those theaters not only include attack, but also defense. A substantial part of the improvement in Israeli warning on Iranian missile and drone attacks starting in April last year was due to Oron.
The plane made in the US, the systems made in Israel
Relevance in all fields costs money, and a lot of it. According to estimates, Israel invested about a $1 billion in the plane. For comparison, a fifth-generation F-35 fighter jet - the most advanced in the Israel Air Force - costs about $80 million. "The cost of the platform and the conversion makes it expensive," explains Colonel B. "We are working on Gulfstreams, and the systems are unique and very expensive. All the information technology is Israeli know-how. The conversion process took place in the US, but the systems are Israeli. No country has such a configuration."
Colonel B has served in the IDF's Air and Space Command, the innovation leader in the Ministry of Defense, for more than 20 years. He has held all R&D positions, in the R&D division and in the field of drones. Before Oron, he was involved in the development of radar systems and a variety of other capabilities that contribute to the IDF's air and intelligence superiority. He has already led impressive products in the past, but Oron is unique in that in a short time he has gained a reputation worldwide. The reconnaissance plane has room for a team of eight intelligence officers, and includes dozens of computers and thousands of sensors.
Oron can reach an altitude of 40,000 feet in 25 minutes, which does not interfere with civilian traffic, moving at a cruising speed of about 900 kilometers per hour, and staying in the air for 10 hours in any weather. This allows it to operate on all fronts, from Iran, through Yemen to Gaza. "This is a unique Israeli solution. We take executive platforms, while most of the world takes larger aircraft. The technological challenges are easier with large aircraft because they have enough power and space to integrate systems inside."
This is Israel's third mission aircraft. The first, Shavit, has been operational since the Second Lebanon War (2006), and brings signals intelligence (SIGINT). The 8200 unit is responsible for collecting SIGINT and deciphering codes in the IDF Intelligence Division. It took an active part with the Navy in the development of Oron. About three years after Shavit, the Eitam arrived, which brings aerial imagery in real time. In the current war, Oron began operations, and is considered one of the most advanced in the world because it combines the capabilities of the Eitam, Shavit, as well as image and air-to-ground radars. The array of intelligence aircraft is operated from the Nevatim Base, Squadron 122 (Hanachshon).
What are the differences between Oron, Shavit and Eitam?
"It's a progression, there are several generations. We are in the fourth generation, and we are already developing the fifth generation," explains Col. B. "In the fourth and third generations we worked with a mission for the aircraft, and then Shavit was born, which brings a specific field of intelligence, SIGINT. Within the family is the Eitam, which functions like a flying air control unit and allows building a strategic aerial picture. An image can be built based on ground radars, but if you want early warning, redundancy and control in remote locations, then the aircraft make this possible. Oron is the first to enable the integration of several branches, and it is multi-mission. It combines the needs of the Navy, Military Intelligence and the Air Force."
So what is the fifth generation in surveillance aircraft?
"We want to integrate electronic warfare capabilities into the fifth generation. That is, to enable control of the entire spectrum - intelligence gathering and attack."
"In terms of performance, we are the most advanced"
Few countries know how to create surveillance aircraft. One such internationally recognized aircraft is the US AWACS. But, the US command and control aircraft is based on the Boeing 707, which reduces the "cost-effective" aspect that is always a major consideration in Israeli decision-making. The technological challenge is particularly big, because while the Americans install the payload on the roof or belly of the AWACS, Israel makes sure that it is part of an aircraft, which is significantly smaller anyway.
Col. B. says Israel has realized it will not be able to enable AWACS capability, and so another solution is needed. "This is a strategic capability, which as a result allows for a more limited arrangement of forces, with the help of a long-term vision and a partnership between us and the IDF and IAI. Oron demanded unique R&D that enables high capabilities. We exploited the advantages of IAI, which is strong in aerodynamics and aircraft engineering, and IAI's Elta, which has radars and SIGINT capabilities. We are in close dialogue with countries around the world, and we know that in terms of performance, we are the most advanced."
What other countries are active in surveillance mission planes?
"Mainly the US and Europe are engaged in the field, with Israel considered a major player. In the US and other countries, the crew is larger. We have unique requirements, and the ability to scale things down brings us to an optimal point. In the US and Europe, they carry out one mission with one aircraft."
At the operational level, in all areas, Oron has a fundamental advantage in its "stand-off" capability. That is, it does not need to be very close to the target, whether it is in Iran, Lebanon or anywhere else, to produce results. These are also obtained due to Elta's AESA radar, which allows the aircraft to cover ranges of thousands of square kilometers, which significantly facilitates the protection of the aircraft. At the same time, Oron provides a wide area coverage, which is especially important in densely populated arenas such as Gaza. This allows for repetition and accumulation of data. The enormous amount of data coming from the fronts, says Colonel B., is impossible to control without advanced AI. Part of that analysis is carried out using the aircraft's own systems.
According to the senior officer, the use of multiple means has an exponential impact on the volume of data. "The person at the end is always the one who decides, but he has limited cognitive ability. The amount of sensors brings a wealth of intelligence, but if we don't make it accessible, it won't work. Without AI, it's impossible to maximize capabilities. It collects data that the person in the plane and the decoders on the ground have no ability to control on their own. AI knows how to mark places to which attention should be directed. Assistance in decoding huge arrays, stressing what is relevant, what is different. All of this, even before connecting spectra: the signature data from electro-optical means, and the need to weld domains that a person would have difficulty with by themselves."
Drones won't replace surveillance planes anytime soon
One of the fields in which Col. B. has extensive experience is drones, which were used extensively in the Iran operation, swarming Iran's skies including photography drones, attack drones and suicide drones. Considering their price, which is significantly lower than manned aircraft (Elbit's Hermes 900, for example, costs an estimated $6.85 million per unit), the question arises why not build an intelligence-gathering system based on many drones.
"Since I was the head of a department in the field of drones, it is important to stress that Oron's platform is bigger," says Col. B. "On the other hand, to create operational capability, it is necessary to integrate technologies that are impossible in our unmanned aerial vehicles, including in the intermediate and high tiers. We are currently seeing more unmanned missions, and as time goes on, there will be more missions for UAVs, but the integration of the required technologies is not possible at the highest level."
Another significant pillar in the Israeli intelligence gathering system, in which IAI is also a leading player, is the field of satellites. Col. B. stresses that satellites offer a strategic advantage, but it is impossible to rely on them alone. "Every satellite system has the ability to photograph in a specific place and at a specific time. In contrast, an aircraft like the Oron focuses its efforts in a location that the satellites do not cover. In the evolving arena and the threats that are developing, it is sometimes necessary to provide a response at times that are not covered. We have learned in this war that there is no single thing that triumhs, and that a combination of capabilities is needed."
In conclusion, how do you view winning the Israel Defense Prize?
"The award is recognition after many years of investment that was not always a consensus. There is a lot of technology here, operational needs, but the award brings recognition to the operational contribution on the battlefield. This is the realization of a long-standing vision of the Ministry of Defense and IDF. Oron was born from a partnership with IAI and Elta as a leading division that invested heavily in R&D, otherwise it would not have matured to fruition. Also, without a consumer, it is impossible to succeed, and the partnership with the IDF, the Air Force and Squadron 122, Intelligence and the Navy, made this possible."
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on August 24, 2025.
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