BAE Strix The Australian division of the British defense company BAE Systems, together with Innovaero (Brunei), presented their latest development at the Avalon Air Show (Australia) — a hybrid military drone with vertical takeoff Strix.
The drone folds down to a size of 2.6 x 4.5 m, which allows it to be transported in a shipping container. In combat position, it is capable of carrying up to 160 kg of payload and covering a distance of over 800 km. At the Strix air show, it is presented as a multi-purpose UAV that performs the functions of an attack drone equipped with air-to-ground missiles, an air scout, and also as a wingman in a group with combat helicopters.
BAE Strix The drone glider has a number of features.
Its front wings are made with a downward slope, and the rear wings are up, which corresponds to the configuration of the X-wing type. Large-diameter rotors are installed at the ends of the wings. The front landing gear is slightly longer than the rear ones, which is why Strix moves on the ground with a raised nose. The drone does not need a runway to take off and land. After starting the engines, it rears up and takes off vertically, and then lands, also leaning on the rear wheels. In addition to the combat load, Strix can also carry other payloads. It is capable of operating both in autonomous mode and in remote control mode from the M113 APC, the MQ-28 jet drone, from a ground station or from a helicopter to enhance the protection of its crew in a combat situation.
Alexander Ageev
