Can Fly For 35-hours : South Africa’s Milkor 380 Combat Drone Makes Successful First Flight

Can fly for 35-hours : South Africa’s Milkor 380 Combat drone makes successful first flight.

Milkor 380 can carry 210 kg of external payload, including weapons and sensors.

Its Rotax 915iS engine allows a maximum speed of 250 km/h and cruising speed of 150 km/h.

Milkor, a South African Defence and Aerospace company, has flown its Milkor 380 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) for the first time —marking a giant milestone in the development of its flagship Combat aircraft.

The Milkor 380 Combat drone underwent a successful first test flight on 19 September, nearly five years after the Pretoria-based defence group unveiled what has been described as the as largest armed UAV designed and built in Africa.

Classified as a medium altitude long endurance (MALE) UAV, Milkor’s 380 Combat drone is specifically designed for long endurance Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) operations.

With a wingspan of 18.6 metres and maximum takeoff weight of 1 300 kg, the Milkor 380 will be able to fly up to 35 hours while carrying 210 kg of external payload, including weapons and sensors. Its four-stroke, four-cylinder turbocharged Rotax 915iS engine allows a maximum speed of 250 km/h and cruising speed of 150 km/h.

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While the flight trials and sensor integration will continue throughout 2023, the first flight “is a significant achievement for Milkor and the South African Defence Industry (SADI)”, said Daniel du Plessis, Marketing and Communications Director at Milkor.

“Having a locally developed UAV of this scale greatly enhances opportunities for the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), South African Police Service (SAPS) and Border Management Authority (BMA) to increase their operational capabilities, while enjoying embedded support to ensure extended operational readiness,” du Plessis said.

First public demonstrations of the Milkor 380 are expected during the biannual African Aerospace and Defence Exhibition in South Africa in September 2024, where Milkor is looking to showcase its flagship drone to the international UAV market.

“Over the past few years, the use of UAVs in active conflicts has shown their intrinsic value and we look forward to engaging with end users and decision makers around the world,” du Plessis added.

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