Israel's long-range UAV 'no gamechanger': "The Israeli air force formally inducted the Heron TP -- dubbed the 'Eitan,' which is the Hebrew word for 'strong' -- into its inventory Sunday, announcing that it had the range to operate over Iran.
The inference appeared to be that like its Israeli and U.S. counterparts blasting militants in the Gaza Strip, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, this 4.5-ton pilotless behemoth would add significant firepower to any Israeli pre-emptive strike against Iran's nuclear infrastructure without endangering pilots.
That was certainly what the media picked up on. But in its current configuration, the Eitan, built by state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries, is primarily designed to conduct long-endurance, high-altitude electronic surveillance missions well above commercial air traffic."
