German defence firm Rheinmetall reveals drone that launches smaller drones for kamikaze missions
Rheinmetall has introduced an unconventional drone capable of launching smaller drones.
The drone is named the Combat Drone and is a modified version of the LUNA NG drone, which can operate for up to 12 hours and communicate with the controller up to 100km away.
The Combat Drone is adjusted to launch the smaller kamikaze drones, Hero R, created by the Israeli company UVision. Details on how the adjustments have impacted the drone’s technical abilities have yet to be announced.
Hero R quadcopters are stored in the larger drone’s inner compartment, and once a target is selected, the process of directing the kamikaze drones to the chosen objective begins. During a demonstration of the Combat Drone’s capabilities, an indoor vehicle was destroyed. The 2.28-metre-long LUNA NG has a wingspan of 4.17 metres and a 5 kW engine, and it can climb to an altitude of 5,000 metres during flight. A catapult is used for launch, and the drone transmits data to the control panel while on its mission.