Next week, specifically on June 19, the traditional Paris Air Show will start in France. Prior to this exhibition, The War Zone has reported the emergence of information regarding a prototype for a new unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) named Aarok.
The Aarok drone was secretly developed by a little-known defense company called Turgis & Gaillard, based in France. For the French defense industry, this UAV can rightly be called a groundbreaking development, as it is the largest unmanned aerial vehicle ever developed by France. For example, the wingspan of the new UAV is greater than that of the MQ-9A Reaper (over 21.9 meters for the French drone compared to 21 meters for the American one). Additionally, the overall fuselage of the Aarok appears more substantial.
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The Aarok unmanned aircraft, belongs to the MALE class, which stands for Medium Altitude Long Endurance, designed for extended flight durations. It is intended to perform typical tasks of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), as well as strike missions.
The declared tactical and technical characteristics of the new drone are as follows: the overall weight of the UAV is approximately 5.4 tons in its maximum configuration. The empty weight of the drone is around 2.5 tons, while the maximum payload capacity it can carry is about 2.9 kilograms, including up to 1.5 kilograms of weaponry. The endurance in the air exceeds 24 hours. One notable feature of the prototype is its robust chassis, allowing the drone to take off from uneven fields.
The powerplant of the Aarok drone is a 1,200 horsepower turboprop engine, specifically the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6. However, the manufacturer also plans to equip these drones with engines such as the Safran Ardiden 3 or the GE Aviation Catalyst.
Regarding the payload, for ISR tasks, there are proposals to install either the Wescam MX-25 or the Euroflir 610 systems. The Aarok drone has sufficient power and space under its wings to accommodate various payload systems. The developer highlights that the Aarok UAV can simultaneously carry optical-electronic cameras, multi-mode radar and radio reconnaissance systems.
Moreover, for strike missions, the Aarok drone can be equipped with the AASM Hammer, a precision-guided modular air-to-ground weapon from the French company Safran. The AASM Hammer combines elements of bombs and missiles, similar to the JDAM. It utilizes a satellite and inertial guidance system for precise targeting, which can be complemented by an infrared or laser guidance system. The AASM Hammer can be fitted with warheads weighing 125, 250, 500 or 1000 kilograms.
According to Patrick Gaillard, the CEO of Turgis & Gaillard, the Aarok drone, armed with the AASM Hammer missile, will have a firing range of 35 kilometers. Therefore, concerns about the Pantsir system are relatively low. The statement made by Gaillard, as mentioned in The War Zone, may be a veiled reference to the incident where russian forces failed to hit the MQ-9 Reaper UAV with their Pantsir-S1 anti-aircraft system in Syria.
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