Mini UAS from Elbit tests well prior to delivery of over 1,000 units to Southeast Asia military
NewsAugust 17, 2020
HAIFA, Israel. Elbit Systems announced that its THOR multirotor Vertical Take-off and Landing (VTOL) mini unmanned aerial system (UAS) successfully underwent a series of environmental-durability tests ahead of Elbit's delivery of more than 1,000 THOR units to an army in Southeast Asia.
The tests were done following the news in October 2019 that Elbit had won a $153 million contract to provide a networked multilayered UAS array to a Southeast Asian army, including more than 1,000 THOR drones.
The recently completed tests measured the operational durability of the THOR VTOL mini-UAS under a range of extreme environmental conditions, including operation in temperatures varying from -40 °C up to +65 °C, the ability to withstand hard gusting rain and rough vibrations, and the ability to resist penetration and damage from blowing sand and dust, according to information from the company.
The electrically propelled THOR mini-UAS -- aimed at use in surveillance and reconnaissance missions over land and at sea -- can carry as much as 3 kilograms (6.6 pounds) of payload, can fly for up to 75 minutes at a stretch, and has a maximal range of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) and a flight ceiling of up to 2,000 feet.
