Northrop-Grumman displayed its Jackal high speed one-way multi-mission drone at the recent Association of the United States Army (AUSA) exposition in Washington DC.
Jackal has been in development for several years based on an original need expressed by the US Marines. It was first made public as a little noticed small concept model at a prior Special Operations defense exhibition in Tampa, Florida. According to a company spokesperson they wanted a system that could be launched from various platforms to rapidly reach and reconnoiter a distant targeted area and report what it found. Such situations might include confirming if a landing zone remains clear or results of a target strike.
Transit times of conventionally powered unmanned aerial vehicles did not allow them to meet the mission response times the Marines desired. As a result Northrop-Grumman took a unique approach to the proposed Jackal unmanned drone by utilizing turbo-fan jet propulsion. The AUSA displayed a large-scale representation.
Jackal’s turbo-fan engine provides the drone with a top speed of 600 kmph (372 mph) with a range of 100 km (62 miles). Its payload of 4.6 kg (10 lbs) is modular and can be configured with various sensors for surveillance and reconnaissance, electronic warfare packages or with a warhead providing a precision strike munition. The drone is tube-launched with retractable wings that deploy upon leaving the launch tube.
The system is compatible with launching from ground, naval or air platforms. The system’s autonomous control allows reliable operation even in GPS denied environments. It can be not only be pre-programmed using waypoint navigation but also can be updated in flight. It can thus accept new criteria on a target or be redirected to an entirely new one while in the air. Other features include automatic targeting that allows for enhanced overall situational awareness, target recognition, acquisition and attack.
Jackal’s exceptional flight speed means it can reach a targeted area in a fraction of the time making it ideally suited for either a final reconnaissance prior to an operation or to strike a target of opportunity. The system can be employed in groups to simultaneously attack multiple targets. The efficiency and successful execution of such attacks is enhanced by the rapid approach possible by Jackal, its maneuverability, and that the missile is designed to accelerate in its final descent on the target. Northrop-Grumman is understood to be collaborating with Aerovironment, developer of the Switchblade loitering munition, on the Jackal system’s mission configurations. Jackal will be undergoing further testing over the coming year.
by Stephen W. Miller
