Saudi Arabia unveils armed UAV
Jeremy Binnie, London - IHS Jane's Defence Weekly
12 May 2017
The Saqr 1 UAV does not look like any known CASC UAV. Source: Saudi Press Agency
Saudi Arabia's King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) unveiled its Saqr 1 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) on 11 May.
The KACST said the Saqr 1 UAV is equipped with a satellite communications system, has an automatic take-off and landing capability, and is made from lightweight carbon and glass fibre materials to reduce its fuel consumption. It has a range of 2,500 km, an endurance of 24 hours, and an average flying altitude of 20,000 ft. It added that it can carry laser-guided missiles and bombs with a range of up to 10 km.
The KACST also released a video during which a Saqr 1 was seen flying. It was also seen inside a hangar fitted with weapons identified as the FT-9 guided bomb and M-4/M-3 missile.
The FT-9 was developed by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) for its CH-series UAVs, which are already in service with the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF). The M-4/M-3 shown in the video resembled the CASC AR-1 laser-guided missile.
