American company General Atomics has developed and tested a new highly lethal drone. Its destructive power lies in its formidable firepower: it can carry 16 AGM-144 Hellfire missiles similar to those used by the AH-64 Apache helicopter.
General Atomics’ secret drone “Mojave” successfully tested. (Photo: Chinatimes).
According to the American news site Breaking Defense, an anonymous source revealed that this drone, which has not yet been officially named, conducted its first flight last summer in the Mojave Desert, hence it is temporarily referred to as “Mojave.”
Although General Atomics prefers not to discuss this powerful armed drone, a source indicated that this UAV can take off and land on runways under 800 feet (approximately 240 meters) and can launch from medium-sized bases, rugged airfields, dirt roads, dry riverbeds, and even be launched and recovered from ships using catapult equipment. The “Mojave” can take off from small, unprepared locations, making it highly adaptable to harsh conditions. It is also equipped with a strong lift system and a 450-horsepower Rolls-Royce turboprop engine.
Some basic features of “Mojave” revealed.
The ability to carry 16 AGM-144 Hellfire missiles makes the “Mojave” astonishing, doubling the capacity of the operational MQ-1C Predator and quadrupling the payload of the MQ-9 Reaper.
According to sources, this powerful armed drone is based on the MQ-1C Predator UAV, with wing shapes similar to the OV-10 Bronco attack aircraft. Its wingspan is significantly larger than that of the MQ-1C Predator, providing more space for carrying weapons. It also features lighter avionics and superior functionalities, such as an automatic takeoff and landing system.
“Mojave” has 6 hardpoints enabling it to carry more weapons.
Of course, carrying such a massive amount of weaponry comes at the cost of reduced flight time and range. The aforementioned source acknowledged that carrying all 16 AGM-144 Hellfire missiles would affect continuous operational time and also reduce mission space and power. However, the missions of this UAV are very flexible; if used for close support and battlefield patrol missions, it can take off in emergencies and immediately launch some missiles; after shedding weight, it can regain all functionalities and continue to operate in the air for an extended period.
The wingspan of “Mojave” is very wide, convenient for carrying multiple weapons.
Currently, the official name of this new drone has not yet been revealed, and information about it may be disclosed by the end of this year.
At present, General Atomics has not begun negotiations to sell this new drone to the U.S. military or potential international customers. Those familiar with the matter have stated that the “Mojave” system was designed based on projects from the U.S. Army Futures Command and the U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM), particularly SOCOM’s Overwatch program. This new UAV may also meet the operational needs of the Marine Corps or any other U.S. expeditionary combat forces.
With the ability to carry 16 AGM-144 Hellfire anti-tank missiles, the destructive power of “Mojave” is equivalent to that of the expensive armed helicopter AH-64 Apache. (Photo: Chinatimes).
