South African-based Milkor advances a fully loaded prototype of its 380 medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV). The Milkor UCAV is designed from the ground up to be a multi-role airborne platform suitable for Surveillance, Intelligence Gathering and Opportunistic Strike Operations. The system features multiple capabilities including but not limited to Autonomous flight, landing & take-off, redundancies in Control and Communication, Line Of Sight (LOS) & Beyond Line Of Sight (BLOS) communication, Satcom support, and more. All supplied as a containerized solution and ITAR free.
The Milkor 380 is designed for operational versatility whilst autonomous flight, take-off and landing are achieved through its onboard flight control system. A control system featuring pathway placement and loiter pattern ensures the simplification and success of complex missions. Five hardpoints included in the Milkor 380 design allows interchangeability for podded electronic warfare solutions, weapon systems and external containers. A modular design approach was included in the ground control station (GCS), allowing customizability for each customer to ensure optimal operation and functionality of the 380.
The Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle has incorporated the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE’s) EDGE Al-Tariq-S MK 81 X-series (with laser seeker) precision-guided munition (PGM) on the fuselage centreline hardpoint, two EDGE Halcon Systems Desert Sting DS-16 guided bombs fitted to an EDGE dual rack on one of the two hardpoints on each wing, and a Thales Belgium SA FZ602 two-tube reusable lightweight laser-guided rocket launcher on the other hardpoint. The UCAV is fitted with an L3Harris Wescam MX-15 multispectral electro-optic/infrared (EO/IR) turret, and could also be fitted with Thales’ synthetic aperture radar (SAR) for maritime patrol applications. The centreline could be additionally fitted with Airborne Technologies’ Self Contained Aerial Reconnaissance (SCAR) Pod modified for UAVs.
