An unmanned aircraft can fly at speeds of up to 270 km/h and stay in the air for up to 10 hours. In the future, engineers will equip it with more powerful weapons, including 20 kg bombs.
In Poland, the government has unveiled a prototype of the HAASTA combat drone, which it plans to use to confuse air defenses and destroy enemy drones. According to Breaking Defense, a new modification of the drone was announced at the MSPO defense exhibition.
The drone was developed at the Lukasiewicz Aviation Institute in collaboration with the Italian company EuroTech. HAASTA has a wingspan of just under 4 meters, a length of close to 3 meters and can carry up to 35 kg of payload in its compartment. The 20 hp electric hybrid engine uses a structure that provides a speed of 120 to 270 km / h and an altitude of more than 6 kilometers.
The drone needs to be launched with a catapult, and the drone itself lands on sleds or with the help of a floating parachute. The operating range of the UAV is 30 km with standard radio communication, 80 km in mesh system or 170 km in LoS line (line of sight) with directional antennas. When connected to a satellite, the range is limited by fuel – the maximum run time is 10 hours.
The drone’s main mission will be to hunt down the Iranian-style Shahed drones that Russia has been using to attack Ukraine since 2022. HAASTA is designed to destroy such targets with its undermounted 5.45 mm machine gun. In the future, engineers want to supply cartridges or two 20-kilogram free-falling bombs along with larger 7.62 mm or 12.7 mm UKM machine guns (Uniwersalny Karabin Maszynowy – an improved Kalashnikov machine gun).
But the drone may have other uses as well. The designers claim that they have the ability to overcome air defenses, operate in the depths of enemy territory and perform reconnaissance missions, as well as grouping to confuse air defense systems. However, developers also see potential civilian versions of their UAVs that could be used to monitor long-distance linear infrastructure, freight transport or photogrammetry.
According to representatives of the Aviation Institute, the aircraft successfully passed a series of flight tests. While the concept is still in the demo phase, the designers hope to attract customers in the future.
According to a statement from the Polish government, the design of the drone is based on “ideas received during the hostilities of recent years” – according to the media, this is a clear reference to Russia’s full-range invasion of Ukraine. The design of the HAASTA drone complies with the new STANAG 4703 standard, which sets the airworthiness requirements of light drones for NATO member countries.
Previously Focus He reported that Poland will receive the latest LTAMDS radars. They will provide protection against Russian drones and missiles.
Source: Focus
Ashley Fitzgerald is an accomplished journalist in the field of technology. She currently works as a writer at 24 news breaker. With a deep understanding of the latest technology developments, Ashley’s writing provides readers with insightful analysis and unique perspectives on the industry.