Continuing the coverage of the AUSA 2024 International Fair in the United States, Zona Militar visited the booth of the Israeli company Steadicopter, which presented its latest innovations in unmanned helicopters, highlighting the presence of the Golden Eagle HS (Heavy Strike).
First, the company emphasized that they are the only company in Israel specializing in the development of unmanned helicopters and associated solutions for Security Forces and Armed Forces. The company noted that they operate within a special niche compared to other firms, as they are currently one of the few that develop and manufacture unmanned helicopters weighing an average of 50 kilograms, allowing for easy transport, but large enough to carry various payloads for substantial operational times in tactical deployments.
Currently, Steadicopter has two families of drones. The first, called Black Eagle, focuses on a wide range of missions thanks to its open architecture and compatibility with EO/IR, LIDAR, multispectral sensors, and it can also be used as a communication relay and for transport tasks.
The second family consists of the Golden Eagle drones, focused on light attack missions. Originally, it was equipped with systems that allow it to carry anything from light weaponry (Golden Eagle LS) to grenade launchers.
Building on this experience and responding to the growing demand for this type of drone to be equipped with more powerful weaponry, the main drone presented at AUSA is the Heavy Strike, the next evolution of the Golden Eagle family, developed in collaboration with Rafael.
This is a significant point, as representatives from the Israeli company confirmed that this new version of the Golden Eagle family is compatible with Rafael’s Spike SR (2 km range) and LR2 (6 km range) anti-tank missile systems, enabling it to be used against armored vehicles, structures, and ships.
Currently, it is operated in this configuration by two operators: one responsible for the drone itself, and the other focused on the weapon system carried by the unmanned aircraft. Additionally, it is powered by an electric engine and equipped with a battery, as well as generators, depending on the client’s requirements.
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