Steadicopter has recently expanded its product portfolio. The company's latest offering, the GOLDEN EAGLE HEAVY STRIKE (HS), represents a substantial leap forward in unmanned aerial technology, blending the proven performance of the GOLDEN EAGLE family with advanced weaponry.

At the heart of this development is the integration of Rafael's renowned SPIKE missiles into the GOLDEN EAGLE platform. The GOLDEN EAGLE HS, with its 50 kg take-off weight, strikes a balance between portability and firepower. It can engage targets at ranges of 2.5 km with the Spike SR or extend its reach to 5.5 km using the LR2 variant. This capability allows ground forces to neutralize threats from safe standoff distances, significantly reducing risks to personnel while maintaining a high level of combat effectiveness.

Noam Lidor, Vice-President Sales, Marketing and Business Development at Steadicopter, emphasizes the advantages of their rotary-wing design over multi-rotor alternatives: “the helicopter configuration of the GOLDEN EAGLE HS offers superior efficiency, allowing it to carry heavier payloads for longer durations compared to similarly sized multi-copter drones. Our RUAVs are conceived as true helicopters, thus capable of operating in harsh weather conditions thanks to higher wind tolerance limits and faster flight capabilities than civil derivative models. Moreover, its airframe is optimised for low radar and IR observability. Hence, the GOLDEN EAGLE offers the same advantages and survivability as proper military rotorcraft.”

This resilience ensures that tactical units have access to aerial reconnaissance and strike capabilities when they need them most. One of the most innovative aspects of the GOLDEN EAGLE HS is its potential for teaming operations. Multiple units can be deployed simultaneously, each carrying its own missile, to create a distributed and resilient strike force. This approach not only enhances operational flexibility but also mitigates risks associated with losing a single, more expensive platform.

Noam Lidor explains: “The introduction of the GOLDEN EAGLE HS comes at a time when there is a growing demand for responsive, organic air support assets at the tactical level. This trend represents a renaissance in army aviation, with unmanned systems playing an increasingly vital role. We can envisage a squadron of RUAVs providing close air combat support to troops, at a fraction of the cost of deploying a combat helicopter yet providing higher responsiveness and more scalability. The logistic footprint is also limited and allows field commanders to have a full spectrum of options to support troops. The HS and LS versions can team up, of course, to offer a comprehensive suite of options. Depending on the tactical situation, the squadron could be divided also into surveillance and strike teams.” 

The ability to provide commanders with immediate aerial fire support, without the logistical complexities and risks associated with manned aircraft, is reshaping military doctrine and operational planning. Potential employment scenarios for a squadron of UAVs include border protection and surveillance, urban warfare support, special operation support, anti-tank defence, and perimeter security for forward operating bases.

The GOLDEN EAGLE RUAS is equipped with a sophisticated array of onboard sensors. At the heart of its sensor suite is the FLIR HADRON Dual Camera EO/IR payload, which comes standard with the system. This advanced payload offers surveillance-grade visible imaging coupled with high-sensitivity thermal imaging, providing operators with situational awareness in various lighting conditions. The high-definition day/night EO/IR payload and target tracker can be further enhanced with RAFAEL's SightX AI technology. This integration enables advanced features such as target acquisition, tracking, and classification.

The AI-powered system can perform individualized identification of objects, maintain continuous tracking even when the line of sight is temporarily obstructed, and autonomously distinguish between different types of targets, whether they are moving or stationary, human or vehicle-based. Additionally, the GOLDEN EAGLE incorporates visual obstacle avoidance and visual-inertial odometry sensors. These are designed to allow for GPS-denied navigation, a feature that will be available through future software updates. This capability is crucial for operations in environments where GPS signals may be unreliable or deliberately jammed. The onboard computing power of the GOLDEN EAGLE supports real-time edge processing of computer vision and AI applications. This powerful CPU and GPU combination enables the system to perform complex tasks such as autonomous multi-target classification and tracking, significantly enhancing the RUAS's effectiveness in tactical scenarios.

Follow us on Telegram, Facebook and X.