Milkor Revolutionizes Unmanned Combat Solutions with Milkor 380 Medium-Altitude Drone.

Milkor is unveiling its latest creation, the Milkor 380, at the AAD 2024 exhibition held in Pretoria, South Africa, from September 19 to 23. This advanced tactical drone stands out for its maneuverability, speed, and precision, emphasizing its potential as a leading combat drone. The integration of the Milkor 380 into the armed forces could potentially open new avenues for unmanned combat solutions, with implications for military strategy and effectiveness due to some of its notable capabilities, even compared to more established medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) UAVs.

Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link

Milkor 380 Medium-Altitude Drone (Picture source: Army Recognition)

The MILKOR 380 is a versatile drone designed for reconnaissance and strike missions. Equipped with advanced optical and radar systems, it provides real-time data transmission in high definition, infrared, and multispectral. Its autonomous flight control simplifies the execution of complex missions and offers five hardpoints for various loads, from electronic warfare systems to armaments.

Capable of operating in all weather conditions and at medium altitudes, it has remarkable endurance. The ground control station (GCS) comes in two customizable versions: the fixed Strategic GCS and the mobile, containerized Tactical GCS.

It boasts an impressive endurance of over 30 hours and a range of more than 4000 km, surpassing drones like the American MQ-9 Reaper and the Turkish Bayraktar TB-2 in terms of mission duration and range. The aircraft has a wingspan of 18.6 meters, a total takeoff weight of 1500 kg, and can carry up to 220 kg of payload, including fuel, with cruising speeds ranging between 110 and 150 km/h.

Its operational uses are varied, including maritime surveillance, mapping and route tracking, as well as disaster response and sovereignty patrol. It can operate in both piloted and autonomous modes, the latter being controlled from the GCS via primary or relayed data links, using 4G, RF, or SATCOM communications tailored to specific mission needs.

The internal hardpoints of the MILKOR 380 can support a load of 150 kg per wing for radar or electronic warfare equipment, and the external hardpoints can each carry a load of 80 kg, for transporting additional munitions. The ventral bay can accommodate up to 400 kg, suitable for sensor pods and various armaments such as rockets and missiles. The aircraft's nose is adaptable for various remote sensing EO/IR and radar equipment according to client specifications.

The GCS of the MILKOR 380 includes strategic versions for fixed installations and tactical versions for rapid deployments, offering increased operational flexibility and mobility.

Equipped with modern communication systems, the MILKOR 380 has redundant LOS and SATCOM communication links, ensuring constant connectivity with ground control units and facilitating mission coordination and real-time data transmission.

Perfectly integrated with existing C4ISR systems, it offers redundant data links with up to three different platforms simultaneously, facilitating real-time video streaming, audio communication, radio communication, geolocation, high-speed data transfer, and network-centric communication among all branches of the armed forces.

With an operational ceiling of 30,000 feet and a maximum altitude of 23,000 feet, the MILKOR 380 stands out as one of the world's best-performing medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) UAVs.

Operating at speeds of up to 250 km/h, with a cruising speed of 110 to 150 km/h, it offers a maximum payload capacity of 220 kg (535 kg including fuel), supported by a fuel capacity of 315 kg, using either 110 LL Avgas or 93 UL Mogas.

Payload configurations include underbelly and wing hardpoints, capable of accommodating payloads weighing up to 400 kg. The ventral hardpoint allows for the deployment of sensor pods, rockets, glide bombs, precision-guided munitions, and missiles. The inner wing hardpoints can carry up to 150 kg per wing, allowing for additional radar, Electronic Warfare (EW) equipment, or munitions, while the outer wing hardpoints support payloads of up to 80 kg per wing, further enhancing the aircraft's reconnaissance and combat capabilities.

The MILKOR 380 features a customizable nose section capable of housing various Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) and radar imaging equipment, including an EO/IR Gimbal with a diameter of up to 500mm, tailored to meet client specifications.