The first test flight for BAE Systems Australia‘s (BAESA’s) innovative STRIX uncrewed aerial system (UAS) is scheduled for mid-October, the company has confirmed.
Flight testing for the prototype, X-wing design was approved in July by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) and will take place at an undisclosed site in Western Australia.
“Some whiteboard sketches and ideas were thrown around in June/July 2022 but the design/concept for STRIX was not finalised until March 2023. So, we’ll have gone from concept design to first flight of a first-of-type prototype within 18 months,” Kisa Christensen, Director of Red Ochre Autonomy and Sensors at BAESA, told ADM.
“We’re taking a staged approach in the lead-up to the first full-blown flight,” she explained.
“We’re starting with the nose-up manoeuvre, then we’ll couple that with a vertical take-off and hover, followed by a vertical landing. The final test flight will implement transition from a hover to conventional flight and then back to hover and a vertical landing. So, the platform’s full flight characteristics will be involved.
“Then we’ll progress to our next spiral, which focuses on testing the unique hybrid propulsion that powers this concept. This will enable realisation of the full range capability that can be achieved through STRIX’s efficient fixed-wing cruise.”
A distinctive kink in the front wing included in the preliminary design launched at the 2023 Avalon Airshow has been dropped in favour of a straight wing – “it’s cheaper and easier to manufacture and aerodynamically superior when paired with a 3-bladed propeller arrangement,” Christensen commented.
“According to simulated flight testing and our physics-based models we’re achieving performance as anticipated.”
This includes a standard payload of 160kg which can be flown for 800km – or a 400km combat radius. Anticipated range with a 200kg payload is 540km, and with a 50kg payload, STRIX is expected to achieve 1510km. Maximum speed is 200 knots, with a cruise speed of 140 knots, and an altitude ceiling of 15,000ft.
Christensen referred to numerous conversations to date with potential users at trade shows in Europe, the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific; definite interest in Japan; and separate discussions with several Scandinavian countries.
“We’re also talking to navies who are very much interested in STRIX’ s shipboard potential. And we’re in discussion with SME Prism Defence who specialise in assisted deck recovery technologies, about how they can help with robust launch and recovery from surface vessels,” she said.
While Army and RAN interest in STRIX continued, financial constraints in the post-Defence Strategic Review environment meant program decisions were unlikely until the next budget cycle, Christensen added.
"What this allows us to do is mature our capabilities and develop our Concept of Operations, so they are ready when the customer needs them,” she explained. “BAE Systems Australia is focused on creating and delivering innovative solutions that are ready for the future battlespace’.