SAS presents a quadcopter equipped with a rocket launcher (video)
SAS demonstrated for the first time the configuration of the SARISA SRS-1A rotary-winged drone with the RL275-1S missile launcher. The company’s representatives said that the system is attracting increased interest from Ukraine and other countries.
“This is a unique system. Missiles are usually launched from large helicopters such as Apache and Cobra. We offer an alternative solution, launching missiles using drones,” said Fotis Campiotis, Vice President of Technology at SAS.
The kinetic thrust of the rocket launcher requires an efficient stabilizer to keep the drone balanced while firing to hit the target. “In the back of the UAV is a system that absorbs most of the kinetic energy produced by firing, which is the absorption mechanism,” said SAS technology developer Christos Christou.
The rocket was successfully tested in the summer of 2023. French company Thales is a supplier of missiles for SAS technology
“It is a precision weapon because it can hit a target with high accuracy, from a distance of several kilometers. The system is radio-controlled within line-of-sight, but it can also have satellite communications for extended use,” Campiotis said.
The SARISA SRS-1 A can be equipped with one or two Hydra 70 missile launchers with a diameter of 2.75 inches / 70 mm. The quadcopter can be controlled by either a large SAS production control station for more complex operations or a small off-the-shelf controller.
