EMIT Aviation
Founded by the former chief test pilot of Israel Aircraft Industries’ drone division, a small firm in Kadima has built tactical UAVs such as the Blue Horizon and Sparrow since 1986.
EMIT Aviation: the company and the aircraft that made its name
A test pilot goes it alone
E.M.I.T. Aviation Consult was founded in 1986 by Ephraim Menashy, who had been chief pilot and test pilot of the UAV division of Israel Aircraft Industries, the Malat division that had helped make Israel a pioneer of battlefield drones. Menashy set up his own company in the industrial zone of Kadima, in central Israel, to design and build tactical unmanned aircraft and the ground stations that fly them. It has remained a small specialist: its staff numbers somewhere between 51 and 100 people.
Sparrows and butterflies
EMIT’s catalogue reads like a field guide. There is the Sparrow-N tactical drone, the Butterfly, the Dragonfly DF 16B and Dragonfly 2000, the Mercury 3 and the Blue Horizon-2, along with standard and miniature ground control stations. Like many Israeli UAV makers of its generation, the company aimed squarely at export customers who wanted a capable tactical system without the cost of the largest platforms.
Blue Horizon over Basilan
Its best-documented operational use came in the Philippines. In 2001 the Philippine armed forces acquired a Blue Horizon UAV for operations on Basilan, the southern island where government troops were fighting the Abu Sayyaf group. It is a modest footprint compared with the industry giants, but EMIT is a reminder that Israel’s drone industry was built as much by small firms founded by former test pilots as by state champions.
EMIT Aviation in numbers
The company
- In short
- Founded 1986
- Founded by ex-IAI Malat chief test pilot Ephraim Menashy
- Based in Kadima, central Israel
- Between 51 and 100 employees
Production
- Best known for
- Blue Horizon, Sparrow
- Sparrow-N, Butterfly, Dragonfly, Mercury 3, Blue Horizon-2
- Standard and miniature ground control stations
Today
- Now
- Independent
- Tactical UAV specialist
The numbers
- Employees
- 51–100
Every notable EMIT Aviation aircraft
Photos: Amal Samantha / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
| Aircraft | Role | First flight | Built | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EMIT Blue Horizon-2 | Tactical UAV | In service | Used by the Philippines on Basilan from 2001 | ||
| EMIT Sparrow-N | Tactical UAV | Tactical reconnaissance drone | |||
| EMIT Butterfly | Tactical UAV | ||||
| EMIT Dragonfly 2000 | Tactical UAV | Also offered as Dragonfly DF 16B | |||
| EMIT Mercury 3 | UAV |
EMIT Aviation aircraft in the world’s air forces
1 air forces in the Order of Battle fly or flew EMIT Aviation types. 1 of them still have one in service.
| Air force | In service | Formerly flown |
|---|---|---|
| Sri Lanka Air Force | EMIT Blue Horizon 2 and other UAVs |
Where EMIT Aviation built, who led it, what it achieved
People
- Ephraim Menashy · founder — Former chief pilot and test pilot of IAI’s UAV division
EMIT Aviation, year by year
E.M.I.T. Aviation Consult founded in Kadima
Philippines acquires a Blue Horizon UAV for Basilan operations
Everything people ask about EMIT Aviation
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Around EMIT Aviation
Every fact, checked
Verified 2026-10-03.