The future of warfare could see soldiers removed from the front lines of battle and replaced by unmanned drones.
Now, the development of an unmanned helicopter that will be invisible to radar could be a step towards achieving this aim.
The
X-01 Hornet drone will be fully customisable, supporting a range of
military and civilian applications, from aerial fire support to
detecting dangerous levels of radiation.
A revolutionary unmanned, autonomous helicopter that is
invisible to radar has been unveiled at Abu Dhabi’s International
Defense Exhibition (IDEX).
The X-01 Hornet drone will be fully
customisable, supporting a range of military and civilian applications,
from aerial fire support to detecting dangerous levels of radiation
And
its front mounted electro-optical infrared camera, while useful for
reconnaissance, could even see it used in filming Hollywood
blockbusters, according to its creators.
The prototype X-01 Hornet was unveiled at the International Defence Exhibition (IDEX) arms show in Abu Dhabi, held on Monday.
Its creators, Serbian firm Engine
Development and Production (EDePro), say it is designed to carry a
variety of equipment, for use in military campaigns and civilian
operations.
Options include radar
guidance and jamming systems, surveillance apparatus and even weaponry -
including four fibre optic guided missiles and a 12.7 mm machine gun.
Options include radar
guidance and jamming systems, surveillance apparatus and even weaponry -
including four fibre optic guided missiles and a 12.7 mm machine gun
The development of the aircraft began back in 2012, according to reports in trade publication Jane's 360.
The
Hornet, which is 6.75 metres long, 1.8 metres wide and 2.65 metres
high, will be constructed from carbon fibre, lightweight steel and
aluminium.
A Phoenix-250 DF turboshaft engine producing 180 kW of power will drive a 7.6 metre diameter, twin-bladed rotor.
Its
creator Dr Predrag Matejic told Jane's the Hornet will have a top speed
of 112 miles per hour (180 km/h) and cruising and 100 miles per hour
(160 km/h).
It should have a flight duration of up to four hours and be able to fly as high as 13,000 ft.
The aircraft will weigh 400 kg when empty, in addition to carry further equipment up to 350 kg.
The standard fuel load will be around 200 litres.
EDePro aim to begin testing on the vehicle
in the coming months, with transmission system and gearbox testing
planned for mid-2017, and hovering tests scheduled September and
October.
About the project lead
engineer Dr Predrag Matejic said: 'Every unmanned helicopter is unique
in itself, because in the hovering phase every helicopter is unstable.
'It's easy to manage that instability when you have a pilot inside, because a pilot is able to counteract that instability.
'But in the case where you don't have a pilot, you need to have good automatic control systems.'
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