STRIX was unveiled this morning in front of Air Force secretaries around the world at Australia’s Avalon Air Show, with the notable exception of representatives from Russia and China who were excluded from the meeting, according to ABC.
BAE Systems developed the aircraft in collaboration with Perth-based company Innovaero. The Strix is a “hybrid, tandem-wing, multi-domain, multi-role UAS” capable of performing missions such as air-to-ground attack, persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, or potentially acting as a “loyal wingman”. It is explained that there is ” – A Force Multiplier in the style that accompanies military helicopters.
BAE Systems Australia
The fuselage is a nugget design, with medium-width front and rear wings. The front wings are downward and the rear wings are upward, and when viewed from the front, it looks like an X-wing. Equipped with four large-diameter propellers on the wingtips. The landing gear is attached directly to the tail of the aircraft, on a long central forward strut, allowing the Strix to roll along the ground with its nose lifted at an angle.
The wings are foldable, and when the prop is oriented correctly, the Strix folds down to a size of 2.6 x 4.5 m (8.5 x 14.8 ft) and can be easily rolled up and transported into a standard size container. on the track.
It can take off and land vertically without the need for a runway. The upward tilt at rest allows the propeller force to stand up straight on the rear wheels, allowing you to take off and land on just the rear wheels like a tailsitter.
BAE Systems Australia
Its hybrid power system offers impressive range and endurance, carrying a variety of mission-specific payloads and munitions. Controlled by BAE’s own Strix fleet management system, it can run fully autonomously. The system is already in use on other autonomous platforms, including the M113 Autonomous Armored Vehicle and his jet-powered MQ-28 Ghostbat Loyal Wingman UAV. It can be run from a ground station, or the Strix can be mounted and controlled on a helicopter to extend its capabilities and protect aircrew in high-threat environments.
BAE Systems Australia CEO Ben Hudson said in a press release: “We are thrilled that this is the first of his UAS of its kind developed in Australia and look forward to working with partners across the country to bring this capability to our customers.”
Check it out in the (silent) rendering video below.
BAE Systems Strix Tail-Sitting X-Wing UAV
Source: BAE Systems Australia
