UAE The small Reach with a big future

[Philip the Arab]

Edge’s new Halcon Systems Reach-S uncrewed aerial vehicle is on display equipped with four 30kg Desert Sting-16 munitions.

Image: BillyPix

The prototype platform is actually on show at the Edge stand, after making its first flight just two weeks ago, coming more than two years after it was unveiled at Dubai Airshow in November 2021.

According to a company official, the Hunter-S flew four times from November 7-11, with the first flight lasting around four hours. “All our objectives were met,” the source said.
Reach-S (S for small) is set to have an endurance of 24 hours and will cover both the attack and reconnaissance role.
Flights so far have only been checking the UAV’s airborne capabilities, and no electro optical/infrared (EO/IR) turret was mounted. Instead, a dummy was added to check it could fly with the additional 50kg weight.
The next step is to begin integration of the weapons.

With a 110hp engine, a maximum take-off weight of 600kgs and a communications range of 200kms, there are now aspirations to develop a larger medium-size Reach UAV, imaginatively called Reach-M, that will undoubtedly boast a longer range and the ability to carry more weapons.

 

[Philip the Arab]

 

[Philip the Arab]

Unit price of 1.1 million for the Reach-S without the ground control station has been announced. Instead of buying American drones for exorbitant prices the UAEAF could acquire 100 of these for 110 million dollars and form a formidable drone force.

Not to mention development of further drones with the money put into the industry gained from the purchase and the export potential to Africa and other GCC nations.

 

[Bürküt]

Unit price of 1.1 million for the Reach-S without the ground control station has been announced. Instead of buying American drones for exorbitant prices the UAEAF could acquire 100 of these for 110 million dollars and form a formidable drone force.

Not to mention development of further drones with the money put into the industry gained from the purchase and the export potential to Africa and other GCC nations.

What flir does Reach-S use. I was curious.

 

[Afif]

What flir does Reach-S use. I was curious.

I saw MX-15 in a photo iirc.

 

[Bürküt]

I saw MX-15 in a photo iirc.

How can it be at this price even though it's using mx15

 

[Afif]

How can it be at this price even though it's using mx15

Without FLIR.

 

[Bürküt]

Without FLIR.

now it make sense

 

[Philip the Arab]

now it make sense

I’m not sure about without FLIR, there’s a chance they develop their own EO/IR system for it using COTS components.

They developed EO/IR for UGVs already.

They had an MX-15 on a plastic model, but that was over 2 years ago and things may have changed.

This one weighs 12 kg so it’s much too light for this drone.

 

[Philip the Arab]

Without FLIR.

I think let’s wait and see, they could go for a design using a less capable EO/IR but that is much cheaper to allow mass production and a cheap price.

 

[Philip the Arab]

flight and test video

 

[Philip the Arab]

It’s big brother was unveiled at the Dubai Airshow with MTOW 1500kg