Rheinmetall unveils Combat Drone unmanned aerial system to launch kamikaze drones Hero R

German defence company Rheinmetall has unveiled an unusual drone. It is designed to launch smaller drones.

Here's What We Know

The unmanned aerial system is called the Combat Drone. It is based on the proven LUNA NG drone, which can fly for 12 hours and communicate with the operator up to 100km away.

The drone has been modified to launch the smaller kamikaze drones Hero R made by Israeli company UVision. No information is available at this time on how the modifications have affected technical performance compared to the original LUNA NG modification.

Hero R quadcopters are loaded into the inner compartment of the large drone. Once a target has been detected, the process of targeting the kamikaze drones to the selected object is initiated. As part of a demonstration of the Combat Drone's capabilities, an indoor vehicle was destroyed.

The LUNA NG is 2.28 meters long and has a wingspan of 4.17 meters. The drone is equipped with a 5 kW engine. In flight, the drone is capable of climbing to an altitude of up to 5,000 metres. A catapult is used for launch. It follows the mission with a camera and transmits data to the control panel.

Source: Rheinmetall