BAE Systems Australia unveils STRIX hybrid VTOL uncrewed air system

British company BAE Systems presented Tuesday its first unmanned vertical takeoff and landing vehicle manufactured in Australia, a device capable of carrying out surveillance, reconnaissance and air strikes against “targets hostiles” on land.

The “SRINX,” as it has been called, can transport a payload of up to 160 kilograms, including ammunition, more than 800 kilometers, according to a statement from the subsidiary of BAE Systems in Australia, which produced this device together with Australian company Innovaero.

This 2.6 meter by 4.5-meter unmanned drone, with the ability to take off and land vertically, fits inside a ship, and can be directed from a helicopter in “high-risk situations,” the release said.

“STRIX could be ready for operational service in 2026, a prototype is already in the works,” BAE Systems Australia CEO Bed Hudson said.

This military drone was presented at the Avalon Aeronautical Fair (southeast of Melbourne), held from Tuesday to Sunday with the participation of delegations from more than 50 countries, except China and Russia, according to Australia’s Defense Ministry public channel ABC reported.

The fair is held before the expected March announcement about the acquisition of nuclear submarines as part of the AUKUS pact, signed by Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States in September 2021. This involved the cancellation of a contract with French company Naval for the construction of conventional submersibles.

In recent years, Australia has made heavy military investments, including the purchase of ships and frigates from Spain’s Navantia, amid concerns about China’s growing influence in the Indo-Pacific region. EFE