Testing a new armed drone in the United States

The unnamed unmanned aerial vehicle made its first flight this summer at a test site in the southwestern Mojave Desert, IRNA reported Monday, quoting the Breaking Defense website. Did.

The new drone, funded by domestic investment, is designed to be used in harsh conditions.

According to an informed source, the drone needs less than 800 feet of runway to take off and land, which allows it to be launched and retrieved from rugged airports, dirt roads, dry riverbeds and even from the deck of a ship. Slowly

One well-informed source said that arming the drone with a full load of 16 Hellfire missiles would affect the aircraft’s maneuverability. However, the UAV manufacturer believes that this shortcoming is overcome by the ability of the UAV to get closer to the scene of the collision and launch some of its missiles quickly, so the weight of the aircraft is reduced and the time it stays in the air is longer.

“If you can get up from anywhere and load quickly, it will change your maneuverability,” the source added.

The name of the new drone has not been revealed yet, but General Atomics plans to release photos and specifications of this system by the end of this year.

The company has not yet negotiated with the US military or potential international customers about the drone.

The UAV manufacturer also designed the system to fill the gap in the ability of potential customers such as the Italian Navy to operate from ship.

The drone could also be useful for countries such as Indonesia and the Philippines, as some islands may not have developed airports or paved runways.