The Ukrainian war has made the British Air Force (RAF) think seriously about the development of armed drones or Unmaned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV). Apart from fixed wing drones, the debut of drone copters cannot be underestimated in dynamic warfare. And then came the Jackal who successfully tested the launch of the Lightweight Multirole Missile (LMM) manufactured by Thales.
Drone Jackal is a Vertical Take Off and Landing (VTOL) platform and can be used for Battlefield Air Interdiction, Close Air Support, engaging helicopters in flight, and serving as a tank killer.
The Jackal is a drone system capable of carrying out various types of combat missions on land, sea and air. This system is designed to fill a gap in modern combat operations. England is not alone in developing the Jackal, in this case it also involves the capabilities of private Turkish companies.
Meanwhile, this test firing of the LMM missile was sponsored by the Royal Air Force's Rapid Capabilities Office (RCO) and involved a team from Flyby Technology and technology company Thales, which also manufactures the LMM. The trials demonstrated the drone's capabilities in just six weeks, during which Flyby and Thales were able to build two operational Jackals and fire two LMM missiles.
According to Flyby Technology, many countries cannot afford modern attack helicopters or modern fighter jets. In this case Jackal offers a cost-effective solution with little risk. The drone's vertical take-off and landing capability eliminates the need for vulnerable runways and allows it to operate from concealed locations such as forests and urban areas.
The successful test firing marked a step forward in the potential of unmanned aerial combat. The company was asked to brief the RAF's Rapid Capabilities Office (RCO) on their new drone system, especially in British military support operations in Ukraine.
Turkish Fly BVLOS Technology initially introduced an armed version of the Jackal UAV, which was developed entirely with equity capital in Turkey and exported to the UK on 25 April 2022.
The Jackal, which conducted its first test fire with the LMM missile in the UK in October 2022, received full marks from the British engineers, defense industry personnel and military experts who participated in the test.
Fly X Technology, which is part of Fly BVLOS Technology, announced that the process of developing and testing the UAV and UCAV (Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle) Jackal versions is continuing in line with the official request of the UK Ministry of Defence.
After the Jackal, whose design and all patents were wholly owned by Fly BVLOSTechnology, was exported to the UK, the UK Ministry of Defense filed a request to convert the Jackal into a UCAV. The Ministry of Defense requested support in an official letter from BVLOS Fly Technology to support the UCAV transformation.
The Jackal is equipped with two LMM missile launchers at a time. The LMM missile has 13 kg with a length of 1.3 meters and a firing range of 6 km, and can detect target distances with a laser range finder.
R&D and design of the Jackal started in January 2022 at Dronepark located at Gebze Technical University Technopark. The Jackal made its first demo flight for the Turkish Armed Forces in Ankara in April 2022. At that time, the Jackal managed to impress the audience when the drone was airborne for around 40 minutes on its inaugural flight.
Successfully attracting the attention of many countries in a short time, the sales contract was signed within the scope of the export of the first 5 Jackal units to the UK at a ceremony held at Dronepark on 25 April 2022. Development and testing of the Jackal is currently underway at the UAV Test Center in Ankara/Kalecik.
A jackal that can take off and land vertically with 8 engines, this drone can reach high speeds with 4 EDF engines on top. From the specifications, Jackal can carry a load weighing 15 kg and reach a distance of 100 km. New versions of the Jackal continue to be developed with the aim of increasing payload capacity and range.
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