If you think China’s Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) that is capable of spitting out suicide drones en masse from a Humvee-like vehicle is insane, wait till you hear what Israel’s defense and HLS (that’s homeland security, btw) company Spear did.
Spear specializes in the development of unmanned aerial systems and the little guy you see here, called Ninox 40 Micro-tactical Drone System, is one of its star arsenals. The name Ninox 40 Micro-tactical Drone System may not sound like much but trust me, this UAV is very dangerous.
What makes the Ninox 40 stands out is, it is a single-user drone that can be deployed manually by hand when on the move (like literally on the move) or from a standard 40 mm grenade launcher in a matter of seconds.
The encapsulated drone is about a size of a regular folding umbrella, tipping the scales at a mere 250g (8.8 oz), and it is outfitted with a battery good for up to 30 minutes of flight.
Once launched into the air, four arms, each with a rotor, will deploy, and the craft proceeds to take flight seamlessly. What amazes us is how quickly Ninox 40 is able to determine its orientation in a 3D space and flies off once the rotors are deployed. Everything from launch to deployment of rotors to flight happens in a span of a few seconds. Very impressive.
The system is ruggedized to stand up to harsh environments like the battlefield, with each craft boasting extensive ISTAR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance) capabilities, a day and night camera for enhanced situational awareness, and automatic tracking.
Once in the air, it can be easily maneuvered or go on fully autonomous mode, with visuals captured by the onboard camera presented on the system’s wearable. That’s right. The display can be worn on the chest. The system also supports a mesh network for controlling multiple UASs.
You probably don’t want to be seeing this drone in a conflict because, this little also touts seamless C2 integration, allowing it to serve as a suicide drone – all at a couple of touch and swipe on the touch-enabled control. Absolutely bonkers. The future of the battlefield is safer, or more dangerous, depending on which side you are on with military hardware like the Spear Ninox 40 Micro-tactical Drone System.
Images: Spear.