Page 23 - Australian Defence Magazine April 2023

APRIL 2023 | WWW.AUSTRALIANDEFENCE.COM.AU
DEFENCE BUSINESS AVALON 2023 23
BAE SYSTEMS UNVEILS STRIX UAS
Every show has a star and at Avalon the standout static display featured the Strix multimission unmanned aircraft system (UAS) unveiled with considerable fanfare by BAE Systems Australia.
Named after an owl, the tiltable body and tandem wing UAS, powered by four hybrid engines driving propellers, combines the convenience of vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) with the range and speed of a conventional air- craft, producing what BAE Systems said is a unique system.
Using electric propulsion and software to tilt the en- tire aircraft saves significant weight, complexity, and cost, while substantially improving payload, range, and hover en- durance, the company noted.
Designed for various tactical battlefield roles, the Strix is predominantly aimed at the land and maritime markets. It can be operated independently, or is suitable for embedding into helicopter flights and missions.
Kisa Christensen, Strix team leader at BAE Systems Australia, told ADM that work on the project began in July 2022 and first flight test of the first Strix prototype was anticipated in the fourth quarter of 2023.
Developed entirely in Australia in collaboration with Perth- based Innovaero, internal funding had enabled much faster progress than traditional procurement models, she said.
She added that the Strix system would enter the Austra- lian and export markets as a multidomain and multirole capability to undertake a variety of missions, including deep strike for forces on land and at sea; anti-submarine warfare; and intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance, and electronic warfare.
According to BAE Systems’ CEO Ben Hudson, Strix could be ready for opera- tional service as early as 2026.
“Strix leverages existing, proven technologies to provide an affordable and cost-effective capability that is mission configurable and upgradable in response to emerging technologies or threats,” he said.
“WE ARE WORKING ON MAKING SURE WE’VE GOT A CAPABILITY THAT CAN DETER AN ATTACK ON OUR SATELLITES BY NON- KINETIC MEANS”
Maximum take-off weight is 900 kg;
cruise speed is 140 knots with a maxi-
mum of 200 knots and the UAS has a
range of 500 km, carrying a maximum
payload of 200 kg. Range with a pay-
load of 160 kg is 800 km, with a loiter time of more than five hours. This figure could be almost doubled in a recon- naissance-only configuration, BAE Systems said.
Using fuselage-mounted hardpoints, air-to-ground mu- nitions for strike missions could include the AGM-114
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