Image source: topwar.ru
The American company Edge Autonomy is a subsidiary of Redwire. And it recently signed a contract with an unnamed European NATO country for the supply of VXE30 Stalker unmanned aerial systems.
This was reported in the company's press service.
The order includes, in addition to the drones themselves, spare parts and operator training. The number of systems purchased, the delivery schedule and the contract amount were not disclosed. But judging by the statement by Steve Adlich, president of Edge Autonomy, Europeans are buying Stalker long-range UAVs in the United States to conduct "covert operations."
- said the head of the company, noting that the new unmanned system provides the European military with broader capabilities.
The delivered vehicles have the ability to take off and land vertically. The modular configuration allows you to quickly integrate the desired payload in accordance with changing tasks.
Stalker is designed for intelligence gathering. The mass of the device is 22 kilograms, it flies at speeds up to 100 kilometers per hour at a maximum altitude of more than 4,500 meters for eight hours. Its range is 160 kilometers. The drone can be assembled in ten minutes, and it is operated by a crew of two people.
Image source: topwar.ru
Such drones have been successfully used by the US military for a long time. During operation on six continents, such devices have already flown hundreds of thousands of hours.
