by Gareth Jennings
Icarus Aerospace has revealed a clean sheet design for an optionally-piloted armed overwatch and light strike aircraft that can also be adapted into mid/high-altitude long-endurance intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) platform.
The Canadian company revealed designs for the Tactical Air Vehicle (TAV) light strike and derived Branta ISR platform in August, with the former described as “a force multiplier for the world's security and armed forces”, and the latter as “the next logical step in [the] evolution of modern drones and reconnaissance aircraft”.
In terms of the twin-turboprop TAV (named Wasp in its full-up military guise), Icarus boasts a mission-specialised swing-role platform that will be capable of operating in austere locations with 90% of the mission capability rate of a modern combat jet with just 15% of the costs.
Limited details revealed to date show the platform has up to three times the electrical-power generation capabilities as its contemporaries, is capable of aerial refuelling, has the highest payload and fastest cruise speed in its class, an optional 360° active electronically scanned-array (AESA) radar provided by Leonardo, as well as a network centric capability that enables a swarming capability.
“[The TAV is] a perfect and affordable plug-and-play solution, replacing and outperforming ageing and near obsolete fleets of more expensive helicopters, aircraft, and drones,” the company said.
https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/icarus-aerospace-reveals-clean-sheet-light-attack-and-isr-designs
