The fully loaded Milkor 380 UCAV was showcased for the first time at AAD 2022. (Janes/Akshara Parakala)
South African-based Milkor showcased a fully loaded prototype of its 380 medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) at the Africa Aerospace and Defence (AAD) 2022 expo held in Pretoria from 21 to 25 September.
Ghaazim Rylands, CEO of Milkor Integrated Systems, a division of Milkor for manufacture and integration of the Milkor 380 UCAV, told Janes on 22 September that “the first prototype is undergoing ground testing and integration with various ammunition using five hardpoints, and the second prototype is currently being manufactured”.
Milkor 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 (formerly Forges de Zeebrugge – FZ) FZ602 two-tube reusable lightweight laser-guided rocket launcher on the other hardpoint. The centreline could be additionally fitted with Airborne Technologies' Self Contained Aerial Reconnaissance (SCAR) Pod modified for UAVs. 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.
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