French Medium-altitude, Long-endurance UAV Debuts at Paris Airshow | Aviation International News

Paris Air Show 2023

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

French MALE UAV Debuts at Paris Airshow

Turgis & Gaillard pitches the medium-altitude, long-endurance drone as an all-French platform for surveillance and attack missions.

Gaillard ASA 1204 Aa’rok — Making its debut at Paris is the all-French Aa'rok UAV. It is being displayed with an array of representative weapons, such as the AASM guided bomb. (Photo: David McIntosh)

By David Donald • Contributor - UK

June 19, 2023

French aerospace and engineering group Turgis & Gaillard unveiled a new medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) UAV at the Paris Airshow. Known as the Gaillard ASA 1204 Aa’rok, the UAV is a 5.5-tonne platform for surveillance and attack missions. The company plans to fly the vehicle later this year.

Although a Pratt & Whitney PT6A turboprop will power the prototype, the production Aa’rok would use a Safran Ardiden if the fixed-wing version of that engine gains qualification, or the GE Catalyst does not. The 22-meter-wingspan drone has underwing hardpoints for the carriage of four Safran AASM guided bombs or up to 16 Hellfire, Brimstone, and MBDA’s Akeron-LP anti-tank missiles. Payload totals 3 tonnes and maximum endurance extends to about 24 hours, depending on loadout. With four AASMs carried on twin launchers from two heavy-duty pylons, it can fly for around 10 hours.

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