South Africa Presents Attack Drone Expected To Be Key Competitor To Turkey's Bayraktar

South African defense company Milkor Ltd has presented the Milkor 380 reconnaissance and attack unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) expected to become a competitor to Turkey's Bayraktar and Anka drones, a holding representative told Sputnik

PRETORIA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 23rd September, 2022) South African defense company Milkor Ltd has presented the Milkor 380 reconnaissance and attack unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) expected to become a competitor to Turkey's Bayraktar and Anka drones, a holding representative told Sputnik.

The presentation took place at the Africa Aerospace and Defence 2022 international arms exhibition being held in the South African municipality of Tshwane from September 21-25. Before that, developers have only shown the drone's mock-up at the IDEX-2021 defense exhibition in Abu Dhabi.

Milkor 380 is a medium-altitude long-rage UAV, whose functions can be used both for reconnaissance and combat actions, the company spokesperson told Sputnik, adding that the drone was being created not only for the South African air force but also for export.

The maximum flight range of the South African drone is 2,000 kilometers (1,242 miles).

Milkor 380 can fly at altitudes up to 9 kilometers at the maximum speed of 250 kilometers per hour. The maximum flight duration is 35 hours. The UAV weighs 1.3 tonnes, while the payload can reach up to 210 kilograms (463 Pounds). Milkor 380 is armed with various air-to-surface missiles, including laser-guided systems.

Main competitors of the South African vehicle, in addition to Turkey's Bayraktar and Anka, will also include drones created by US firm General Atomics, according to the Milkor Ltd spokesperson.

The advantage of Milkor 380 is that the entire component base of the drone is produced by South African companies, the spokesperson said. Moreover, the developer is ready to train operators of customer countries to manage these UAVs.

According to the company spokesperson, the South African drone is currently at the final stage of testing.