The UK Royal Air Force's JACKAL drone launches its first Martlet missile, which can destroy helicopters and tanks

The Royal British Air Force is funding the development of the JACKAL unmanned aerial vehicle. It recently launched a missile for the first time.

Here's What We Know

The Royal British Air Force wants its own lightweight drone, inspired by the success of the Ukrainian Armed Forces who regularly use drones in the war against the Russian Federation. The developer of JACKAL is Flyby Technology.

The drone can take off and land vertically. The drone aims to provide close air support and air defence on the battlefield. It is capable of engaging both air and ground targets, including tanks and helicopters.

The JACKAL has launched two Lightweight Multirole Missile (LMM), known as the Martlet, as part of its testing. The lightweight missile was developed by Thales Air Defense specifically for the UK.

The Martlet has a wingspan of 26 cm, weighs 13 kg, is 1.3 m long, and has a diameter of 0.76 m. The warhead weighs 3kg. It has a maximum range of 8 km and reaches a flight speed of 510 m/s (1.5 Mach).

Source: Thales Group