- Rheinmetall KZO
KZO ("Kleinflugzeug für Zielortung", German for "small aircraft for target acquisition") is an
unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with stealth characteristics manufactured byRheinmetall Defence Electronics ofGermany .A KZO system consists of 10 UAVs and 2 ground units, consisting of one control station, one radio, one launch, one maintenance vehicle with a refuelling facility for the UAVs and one recovery vehicle.
The UAV is launched with a booster rocket directly out of its container. Landing is done with a
parachute .The KZO's main objective is to locate mobile threats and provide target locations for artillery. KZO supplements the German Army's other main UAV in service,
Drohne CL 289 , which is better suited for area reconnaissance and stationary targets.The Taifun attack drone is an armed variant fitted with an intelligent millimeter-wave radar seeker that perform search and destroy attacks autonomously. It destroys its target with a hollow-charge warhead.
Two electronic warfare variants have also been developed as the Mücke and the Fledermaus.
Features
* Wingspan: 3.42m
* Length: 2.28m
* Body diameter: 0.36m
* Noice-reduced two-stroke engine driving 2 blade propeller
* Cruise speed: 220km/h
* Endurance: 4 hours
* Sensor: stabilizedforward looking infrared
* Digital data recorder for 10 minutes of video data
* Real-time datalink
* Navigation: inertial, location via datalink, additionally GPS (not needed for operation)
* Reduced visual, acoustic, radar and infrared signature (stealth technology )References
* [http://www.rheinmetall-detec.de/index.php?lang=3&fid=3311 The German Army's KZO system] @ Rheinmetall
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