BAE Systems' Australian subsidiary unveiled a mockup of new vertical take-off and landing drone, "STRIX", on the first day of the Australian Air Show, Avalon. The unmanned aerial vehicle will take off vertically like a rocket. It will fly horizontally like an aircraft and will hover like a helicopter. The aircraft is still in development and is expected to be operational by 2026.
At the unveiling, an animation of the proposed aircraft showed STRIX being rolled out of a shipping container, its wings unfolding, then lifting itself vertically and taking off, making it runway independent.
STRIX will carry a 160-kilogram payload for over 800 kilometres or loiter for about five hours, depending on the payload"s weight. The UAV could be used for air-to-ground strikes, reconnaissance, surveillance, and acting as a "loyal wingman" for crewed helicopters.The project will be funded by internal R&D dollars and will help the Australian government boost its domestic defence industry.
Two precision-guided bombs outfitted with a kit called RAZER, also designed and manufactured in Australia by BAE Systems, hung from the mockup. According to a statement, the kit can convert 40-to-50-kilogram bombs into precision weapons that can glide toward targets. The kit was created in collaboration with Australia"s Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance Enterprise.
