The developers from the Angry Birds team have updated the reusable Backfire strike drone to carry more ammunition and have the range to work on targets deeper in the rear.
The developers from the Angry Birds team have updated the reusable Backfire strike drone to carry more ammunition and have the range to work on targets deeper in the rear.
According to Military, after the modernization, Backfire can carry 14-17 kg of payload instead of 5-6 kg. At the same time, the maximum route was increased from 140-160 km to 180-200 km. The manufacturer’s representative explained that for such a jump, it was necessary to redesign the airframe, review the weight and layout of components, and add solutions that increase the safety of calculations and the survivability of the sides during missions.
The updates aren’t just about the aircraft itself. Angry Birds says it’s revamped the catapult, control station, and communications system. Another notable change is a larger bomb bay, which adds flexibility for bombing, remote mining, and long-range cargo delivery.
According to the team, Backfire is most effective against stationary or temporarily immobilized targets. Typical missions include strikes on headquarters, ammunition and fuel depots, as well as air defense and electronic warfare assets. The first prototypes and pre-production versions of the updated complex have already completed more than 50 missions each.
The modernization lasted about a year and a half and took place iteratively, at the request of combat units. Increasing the payload for such UAVs means either a greater «weight» of one strike, or the ability to take other useful equipment for a specific operation.
Previously, dev.ua wrote about how the Ukrainian defense-tech company General Chereshnya developed a new interceptor drone, General Chereshnya AIR Speed. As the company notes, this is a separate development of the General Chereshnya AIR line of interceptor drones.
