South Korea’s defense industry demonstrated the country’s growing mastery of multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) by highlighting a series of mature developments at DX Korea 2022 in Goyang from September 21-25.
The Republic of Korea Army (RoKA) has deployed its new UMAC six-axis aiming rifle drone equipped with an SNT Motiv K2 5.56mm assault rifle mounted on a stable two-axis gimbal that minimizes shooting recoil for improved shooting accuracy. The weapon is coupled to an electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) sensor suite with image tracking and optical magnification, enabling operators to identify and target threats at a distance.
According to company specifications, the aiming rifle drone has a maximum take-off weight (MTOW) of 43kg, including a 9.25kg payload. The vehicle’s electric thrusters are powered by three replaceable 16,000 mAh lithium-polymer batteries, enabling it to reach a working altitude of 150 m and an endurance of up to 20 minutes.
Its Portable Ground Control System (GCS) has a control radius of 500 m, and the radio data link between the UAV and GCS is protected by the Korea-developed Cryptographic Module Verification Program (KCMVP).
The Aim Rifle Drone is one of three new small multi-rotor drones contracted by South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) in December 2020 to be delivered to the South Korean Army in 2021 under a rapid acquisition program aimed at helping its troops . Respond to the rapidly evolving battlefield environment of the future.
Meanwhile, South Korean defense electronics and missile specialist LIG Nex1 is giving multi-rotor battlefield drones greater firepower with its tiny smart munitions. The company has not disclosed details about the weapon, but AMR sources suggest that the very compact weapon is only 40mm in diameter and weighs just 2kg. It is also equipped with a semi-active laser homing seeker, enabling it to engage lightly protected threats at ranges of up to 2 kilometers.
The company showed a multi-rotor drone equipped with an EO/IR turret and laser designator and four smart micro-munitions, one of which was firing and receiving guidance information through the aircraft’s laser designator. However, a spokesperson told AMR that the weapon is platform-agnostic and can be easily integrated into any type of drone platform with sufficient payload capacity.
by Jr Ng
