News

18th April 2018 - 00:05 GMT | by Gordon Arthur in Kuala Lumpur

DefTech displayed several UAVs at its booth at DSA 2018 in Kuala Lumpur, including a brand new Camar UAV that possesses a 4m wingspan.

The Camar (the Malay name for a seagull) is still in development in a collaboration between DefTech and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, but a 1:2 scale model of the design was exhibited. The project kicked off last year and is expected to be complete by 2020.

The maiden flight of the Camar occurred in July 2017 and it has completed four batteries of flights so far, Mohd Asri Hassan, head of operations for DefTech Aviation, told Shephard.

The prototype is currently using an electrical engine, but in future it will be powered by a petrol engine.

Target specifications for the Camar are a maximum 40kg take-off weight, 6h endurance and 80km range. Cruising at a maximum speed of 80km/h, the Camar possesses a ceiling of 3,000ft.

DefTech Aviation also showed its hand-launched Aludra SR 10 that has been its portfolio for some time. The 4.5kg mini-UAV currently has a 1h endurance, but DefTech is trying to increase that to 2h by using lighter nano-graphene materials and increased battery capacity.

An Aludra Mk5 tactical UAV from DefTech was also on display. The Malaysia Remote Sensing Agency, a subdivision of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, continues to fly a couple of such Aludras for classified missions.

DefTech also showed a USV called the Todak, which is the local name for a swordfish. This small vessel is being developed in collaboration with International Islamic University Malaysia and represents DefTech’s first foray into USVs.

The project kicked off only five months ago, but DefTech is eyeing a future Royal Malaysian Navy requirement for a USV able to patrol and conduct surveillance.

The Todak, able to carry a 100kg payload, was seen fitted with loudspeakers and infrared camera. Currently an electrical thruster offers an endurance of 2h and speed of just 3kt, but these parameters will be extended and a larger hull will be used in future developments. 

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