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AUSA 2025: Flyer Defense Debuts Flyer 72 HD 4x4 Vehicle for Mobile Counter-Drone Missions.
Flyer Defense has unveiled the Flyer 72-HD, a next-generation 4×4 vehicle built for mobile counter-drone missions, during AUSA 2025 in Washington. The platform integrates Rafael’s C-UAS Force Protection System, combining sensors, EW, and kinetic firepower to counter UAV threats in dynamic environments.
At AUSA 2025 in Washington, Flyer Defense introduced the Flyer 72-HD, a high-mobility 4×4 platform equipped with the Rafael C-UAS Force Protection System. Purpose-built for mobile counter-drone operations, the vehicle integrates a full-spectrum kill chain capable of detecting, classifying, and neutralizing aerial threats while on the move. The system combines radar, EO/IR sensors, SIGINT, electronic warfare jamming, and a 30×113 mm remote weapon station to address the growing threat of small UAVs on modern battlefields. Designed for air-transportable convoy and perimeter defense, the Flyer 72-HD offers both soft- and hard-kill options in a compact, expeditionary package.
The Flyer 72-HD with Rafael’s C-UAS Force Protection System packages a complete, mobile counter-drone kill chain onto a fast, air-deployable 4×4 without trading away off-road performance or payload (Picture source: Army Recognition Group)
The Flyer 72-HD Heavy Duty keeps the high mobility and versatility that define the Flyer family. It can reach speeds of around 95 mph and travel about 300 miles on a typical mission, or up to 500 miles on roads at a steady speed. It can climb steep slopes, handle rough terrain, and cross water up to 76 cm deep, thanks to its 36 cm ground clearance. The vehicle is powered by a 2.0-liter twin-turbo diesel engine producing around 220 horsepower, paired with a six-speed automatic transmission and advanced traction systems for off-road performance. Its suspension and braking systems are designed for stability and control in demanding environments, while large off-road tires with run-flat capability ensure continued mobility even after damage. A powerful heating and air-conditioning system helps the crew operate comfortably in extreme temperatures. Weighing about 7,300 pounds, the Flyer 72-HD can carry up to 5,700 pounds of payload and tow roughly 6,500 pounds. Its robust tubular frame, integrated rollover protection, and optional armor kits enhance crew safety. The vehicle’s electrical system supports both 12- and 28-volt equipment, making it compatible with various mission systems. Finally, the Flyer 72-HD can be transported by CH-47 and CH-53 helicopters or C-130 and C-17 aircraft, and it is suitable for low-velocity air-drop operations.
Development of this variant focuses on mission modularity: the vehicle is configured to accept interchangeable counter-UAS systems so it can be quickly reconfigured for different threats. Its layered defensive suite includes Leonardo DRS’s RPS-42 Multi-Mission Hemispheric Radar for on-the-move detection, Controp’s SIGHT-25HD EO/IR turret for visual identification and tracking, and Rafael’s Spectrum Dome RF jammer to disrupt drone control links. For kinetic defeat it can carry Rafael’s SAMSON RCWS30L fitted with the M230LF 30×113 mm chain gun, plus two door-mounted pintles for standard machine guns. The design lets commanders mix and match “soft-kill” and “hard-kill” effectors without sacrificing the Flyer’s speed, agility or durability, and is an evolution of the platform’s mission-kit approach now optimised for countering drones.
Operationally, the Flyer 72 line has been fielded in high-mobility roles and adapted to varied mission kits; this heavy-duty C-UAS variant applies the same quick-change philosophy to counter-drone defense. Compared with heavier truck-based solutions and turreted SHORAD carriers, the Flyer 72-HD’s advantage is expeditionary mobility and air-transportability: it can be sling-loaded or rolled into tactical airlifters, deploy rapidly with light forces, and maneuver off-road where JLTV-class C-UAS or Stryker-based M-SHORAD units may be constrained. At the other end of the spectrum, ultra-light side-by-sides offer speed but lack the Flyer’s payload, electrical power and integrated 30 mm hard-kill option. The combination of RPS-42 hemispheric coverage, EO/IR confirmation, Spectrum Dome jamming and a stabilized 30 mm RCWS compresses detection-to-defeat timelines while on the move, a key differentiator against quadcopters, FPV loiterers and small fixed-wing UAS.
Strategically, this configuration answers three converging trends: the ubiquity of small UAS in reconnaissance and strike roles, the need to protect dispersed and moving units rather than only fixed sites, and the premium placed on forces that can deploy by helicopter or tactical airlift. Fielding a light C-UAS truck with both soft- and hard-kill effects supports convoy and patrol security, base-defense gap-filling, and rapid reinforcement of threatened sectors without waiting for heavier air-defense batteries. For coalition operations, the use of widely known sensors and effectors eases interoperability and sustainment, while the modular architecture allows partners to tailor the level of protection to threat and budget.
The Flyer 72-HD with Rafael’s C-UAS Force Protection System packages a complete, mobile counter-drone kill chain onto a fast, air-deployable 4×4 without trading away off-road performance or payload. By combining hemispheric radar, day-night EO/IR, RF jamming and a stabilized 30 mm weapon in a modular architecture, it offers commanders a scalable set of defeat options that travel at the pace of maneuver units and match the tempo of the drone threat.
Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.