The project was led by Charley Attali, David Harari, and Michael Shefer who were all awarded the 1981 Israel Defense Prize.

Israeli battlefield UAVs had proven a great success, and soon came to the attention of the US military, particularly after the American intervention in Lebanon in 1983.

This led to the US Navy's request for a battlefield UAV in 1984, and Tadiran and IAI decided, or were told to, join forces to submit a proposal for the American requirement.

After consolidating production of the Mastiff and Scout, the Malat company continued to sell them in slightly refined versions for over a decade.

The Mastiff and Scout remained in service with the Israeli Army and the Republic of Singapore Air Force until the early 1990s, when they were replaced by the IAI Searcher.