The Thunder, an autonomous strike tiltrotor, was unveiled in the U.S.
The American company Anduril, in partnership with Archer Aviation, has unveiled the Thunder, an autonomous attack tiltrotor designed to escort AH-64 Apache helicopters and the future MV-75 Cheyenne II.
The unmanned aircraft is intended to conduct reconnaissance, search for and engage targets, and protect manned aircraft from enemy drones. The Thunder’s stated speed is approximately 515 km/h, and its range is up to 1,480 km.
The tiltrotor is equipped with a hybrid-electric powerplant and variable-speed rotors, which reduce fuel consumption and noise levels during low-altitude flights.
The Thunder will feature modular weapon bays and will be capable of carrying up to 10 Hellfire, JAGM, or Barracuda missiles, 16 unmanned aerial vehicles, 76 APKWS guided rockets, or a combined combat payload.
Autonomous operation will be provided by the Lattice system, which uses computer vision, terrain maps, passive sensors, and onboard computing. According to the developers’ plan, Apache crews will be able to control a group of three to six Thunder helicopters simultaneously by issuing only general commands.
Source: Anduril.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense has unveiled a new class of guided munitions called Firefly. According to the developers, it autonomously corrects its flight path after release, maintains accuracy even under the influence of electronic warfare measures, and allows drones to operate from a safer altitude.
Drones attacked one of Russia’s largest petrochemical complexes—the Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat plant in Bashkortostan. The Afipsky oil refinery in the Krasnodar Krai was also targeted.
