The HCSAF have unveiled 2 new UAS at a presentation at HCSAF HQ on Cloneworld. The RQ-3 Black Dragon is a small surveilance drone which will be launched from a special catapult attachment that can be fitted to Tapir IFVs and flat trucks. Black Dragon returns real-time imagery using EO and IR cameras and can provide augmented vision to troops in the field via special goggles. What the soldier sees through the goggles is supplemented with processed data from the drone and filtered by the base station console in the launcher vehicle. RQ-3 will begin being deployed from next year.
The RQ-1 Kestral is a much bigger drone, being able to take off from runways (the Black Dragon is catapult launched and parachute recovered). The RQ-1 is a highly stealthy supersonic reconnaissance drone. Flight testing will begin early in the new year.
