The largest UAV to be built in France, the Aarok will now be built in Ukraine to help the country's war effort against Russia. (Turgis & Gaillard)
The Ukrainian government has agreed with the Turgis & Gaillard group to the in-country production of its Aarok unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).
Signed as part of a wider raft of defence co-operation agreements between Ukraine and its allies, the Aarok production deal will see the French manufacturer and Antonov team on production of the medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) UAV.
French newspaper La Tribune reported the development on 4 October, quoting Turgis & Gaillard founder Fanny Turgis.
First revealed at the Paris Air Show in June, the Aarok is the largest UAV designed in France. With a wingspan of 22 m and a maximum take-off weight of 5.5 tonne (of which 3 tonne is payload), the UAV is designed for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), communication relay, and strike.
Payloads include the Safran's Euroflir 610 electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) sensor, as well as the Sagem SBU-54 Hammer AASM (Armement Air-Sol Modulaire) precision-guided bomb, and other air-to-surface munitions.
Company performance figures give the Aarok a cruise speed of 287 mph and a cruise altitude of 30,000 ft. Earlier in 2023 Turgis & Gaillard said it was preparing for the first flight later in the year or early 2024.
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