Reconnaissance Drone Fired Like a Bullet

Ninox66 capsule mounted on the 73mm smoke grenade launcher of the Merkava tank

[Researcher Guk-sik Lee, Mobile Firepower Research Team 1, Defense Technology Quality Institute] The Israeli company SpearUAV has unveiled Ninox, a UAS1-based unmanned aerial system suitable for battlefield use. Ninox provides real-time situational awareness and offers Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) capabilities.

Ninox allows soldiers or security personnel to directly launch and control reconnaissance drones to respond immediately to threats occurring in the field, eliminating the need to wait for support or cooperation from unmanned aerial vehicles as before, according to the manufacturer SpearUAV. Additionally, the company stated that Ninox is being developed with cost considerations to secure quantities for use as standard equipment on the battlefield.

Ninox is a modular lightweight UAS sealed in a smart capsule, enabling users to deploy it immediately in the same way they handle ammunition such as bullets or grenades, and it can also be recovered. Various technologies are applied to the smart capsule.

First, the capsule uses no gunpowder for launch, eliminating the risk of explosion. The capsule also functions as a wireless router between the drone, the user, and the command and control system, allowing reconnaissance missions to be preprogrammed through the capsule.

The launched drone autonomously flies and performs its mission based on the input information. It is designed to withstand extreme environmental conditions as well as vibrations during transport. It can be stored for long periods sealed in the capsule without separate maintenance. Furthermore, capsules can be manufactured to be compatible with existing platforms such as grenade launchers, smoke grenade launch vehicles, aircraft, and naval vessels.

The Ninox103 and Ninox66 systems received funding support from the Israeli Ministry of Defense during development. Ninox103 is being developed assuming launch from ground platforms such as main battle tanks or infantry fighting vehicles. It has already achieved initial operational capability by being applied to platforms currently operated by the Israel Defense Forces.

Ninox66 was initially designed for 66mm smoke grenade launchers mounted on the U.S. Army’s M1 Abrams tank. However, it was upgraded to be compatible with the 73/76mm smoke grenade launchers of the Israeli Merkava main battle tank.

Ninox66 can be used on mobile vehicles such as tanks, armored vehicles, and tactical vehicles. In homeland security, technology is being developed to launch drones from launchers installed on critical infrastructure such as nuclear facilities or border fences.

Currently, development is underway for testing and evaluation by the Israeli military. The system can simultaneously relay ISTAR footage acquired by drones launched from the Merkava Mk 4 tank to other bases, units, and individual soldiers. It is expected to achieve initial operational capability by around 2021.

Ninox40 is designed for use by small squads conducting operations in urban areas and is launched from a dedicated 40mm grenade launcher mounted on rifles. It is known that performance demonstrations are currently being conducted using M203 and GL40 grenade launchers by the Israeli Ministry of Defense and others.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.