Israel's Ministry of Defense has begun test flights for its newly developed Oron surveillance aircraft, described as "the world’s most advanced aircraft of its kind" by Israeli authorities. The aircraft is a collaborative effort involving multiple Israeli defense and aerospace entities.

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 Israeli Oron surveillance jet  (Picture source: Israeli MoD )

The Oron aircraft was jointly developed by the Ministry of Defense’s Directorate of Defense Research and Development (DDR&D), Israeli Aerospace Industry’s Elta subsidiary, the Israel Air Force, Intelligence Corps, and the Navy. Lt. Col. Yoed, Head of the DDR&D's Missionized Aircraft Branch, stated that Oron is a "joint multi-domain, multi-sensor solution," designed to enhance the Israel Defense Forces' (IDF) capabilities.

The aircraft is equipped with various sensors and C4I (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence) systems. According to the IDF, these features will allow for "unprecedented intelligence capabilities across expansive terrain," and enable real-time monitoring of ground movements under a range of weather and visibility conditions.

Once fully operational, the Oron will be integrated into the Israel Air Force’s 122nd squadron, known as Nachshon. The squadron has a history dating back to 1971 and has undergone several role changes, from transport aircraft to special operations and now to advanced ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance) aircraft.

The Oron is expected to employ Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology for efficient data processing, aiming to produce real-time actionable intelligence.