DEFEA 2025 – CYRIC: showcasing loitering munitions from Cyprus
Looking at the Cyprus national pavilion at DEFEA 2025 we should say that this island, with a population of around one million people, has probably the greater loitering munition types rate pro-capita, as more than one exhibitor was active in this field
One of the most relevant is definitely CYRIC, the acronym standing for Cyprus Research & Innovation Center. Based in Nicosia, the Cyprus capital town, it is organised on six divisions which employ around 100 people; Elastic Hybrid IT Infrastructure, 3D Rapid Prototyping and Scanning Machine, Thermal Imaging Equipment, Engineering Software Packages, Electronics & Systems Integration Lab, Engineering Fabrication Facilities.
Starting his presentation on the company Loitering Munitions (LM), Dr. Panayiotis Philimis, CYRIC CEO, underlined that his Centre is also “working on new stealth, passive and active technologies. So, within the next couple of years, we develop several kinds of technologies to make our drones stealth. We are working in the fields of artificial intelligence, swarming and autonomous systems.”
The smallest LM presented at DEFEA by Cyric is the Assassin, a 2.2 kg quadcopter carrying an 800 grams payload. Battery powered, it can reach a maximum horizontal speed of 60 km/h, fly for 12 minutes, with a range of 12 km. The Assassin navigation is based on GNSS, GPS, Galileo, BeiDou and GLONASS signals being used. The CYRIC LM carries a bomblet developed by the centre itself; produced in 60 mm and 100 mm diameter, the bomblet is made of a case filled with explosive and contains the electronics guidance that allows to bring them on the target and optimise detonation, the bomblet being programmed before launching the mission, EDR On-Line understood. The Assassin, as well as most of the other CYCIR LMs, is already available.
A much heavier system, the SkyEye also has four arms protruding at 90° each from the central body, however each arm carries two electric motors activating each one a two-blade propeller. The system mass with battery is 9.96 kg, and it can carry a payload up to 9 kg. The flight time of this octocopter depends on the payload; over 40 minutes with a 3 kg load, over 40 minutes with a 5 kg load, and over 24 minutes with the maximum 9 kg load. The standard optronic package is 2560×1440 pixels HDR night sensor mounted on a 3-axis stabilised platform and fitted with a x30 hybrid zoom. It can be fitted with a rotating mechanism that allows to carry up to four 60 mm bomblets or mortar bombs of the same calibre, dropping them either one by one or in close sequence; CYRIC bomblets allow the SkyEye to drop them close to the target while mortar bombs need to be dropped exactly over the objective. The SkyEye comes in an 11 kg rucksack, without ammunition, and is controlled by a ground station with a 7-inch FHD IPS screen via a transmission system.
The biggest LM from CYRIC, at least for the time being, is the Goliath hexacopter, which has an 18 kg mass with battery and can carry a payload up to 15 kg. Here too endurance depends on the load, so it can fly for 1 hour with a 5 kg load or 30 minutes with the maximum load. Maximum horizontal speed is 50 km/h while maximum rate of climb is 1,000 ft/min. A peculiar capability of the Goliath is that it can drop the Dragonflyer glide bombs, which allow it to hit targets at distance without the need to close onto them, their glide ratio being 5:1. Two types of Dragonflyer are available, the Dragonflyer 60 and the Dragonflyer 81, the number indicating the calibre of the mortar bomb fitted to the airframe. This has foldable wings, with a span respectively of 1.1 or 1.4 metres (0.28 or 0.36 metres folded), respective height and length being 0.16 and 0.26 metres, and 0.51 and 0.97 metres.
The Dragonflyer 60 carries a mortar bomb with a mass between 1.2 and 1.6 kg, the maximum drop of mass being 4 kg, while cruise/glide speed is 162 km/h and increases to 215 km/h in the final dive over the target. When releasing the Dragonflyer 60 at 500, 1,000 and 3,000 metres, the operational range is respectively of 1.9, 4.5 and 14.5 km.
The Dragonflyer 81 carries a bigger bomb which mass is between 3.5 and 4 kg, the maximum drop of mass being 5.5 kg, while cruise/glide is 195 km/h, which become 260 km/h in the final dive. When releasing the Dragonflyer 81 at 500, 1,000 and 3,000 metres, the operational range is respectively of 2, 4 and 12 km.
The dummies visible at DEFEA did not featured sensors, but the real Dragonflyer is equipped with a camera mounted either at the front or on top of the vertical rear stabilator; the Dragonflyer receives target coordinates from the ground station and calculates the shortest and most efficient flight path also considering wind conditions, its circular error probable being around 1 metre according to CYRIC. The Goliath can carry either four Dragonflyer 60 or two Dragonflyer 81. “However, we are already developing a heavylift drone that will be able to carry up to six Dragonflyer 81,” Dr. Philimis told EDR On-Line.
A new family of LMs is being developed by CYRIC, this time in the fixed wing configuration. Known as Spear, the Spear-22 Air Launched System has 3.15 metres wingspan, an endurance of 45-90 minutes, a range of 60-120 km, a cruise speed of 80-140 km and carries a payload up to 15 kg over a 40 kg take-off mass. Initially the Spears were to be dropped from fixed or rotary wing aircraft with fixed wings, however CYRIC received more interest for a tube launched version, therefore the Spear-22 has now the typical architecture of such systems, with rear wings folding forward, forward wings folding backwards, and folding rear propeller blades. EDR On-Line understood that three Spear versions are being developed, the two others being named Spear-400 and Spear-800, the latter being already in the test phase and available in the second half of 2025.
From the sky to the land, CYRIC developed a ground LM, the Terror. A small vehicle, 670 mm long and wide and 400 mm high, it has a mass of 14 kg, its mobility being by four wheels on independent suspensions moved by electric wheel motors powered by a battery hosted in the central body, which ensures a 40–60-minute endurance and a maximum speed of 65 km/h. The sensor suite, which provides a 170° field of view, is located on top of the vehicle, while on each side we find a cylinder containing a shaped charge, of around 100 mm diameter each containing around 2 kg of explosive. These can be oriented in elevation, hence the Terror can be driven under an armoured vehicle and aim upwards one or both charges, or it can attack a vehicle horizontally, depending on the situation. The UGV is controlled via 4G/5G network by mounted or dismounted personnel.
A much heavier unmanned ground system is the Chiron, which was not exhibited at DEFEA, which can carry up to 250 kg payload, can operate continuously for 3 hours, and is capable of autonomous or semi-autonomous operations. Instead of four wheels it has four small, tracked elements, which not only ensure high all-terrain mobility, but also allow so self-level the vehicle up to 35°.
Looking to the future, Dr. Christos Konstantopoulos, the head of CYRIC Robotics and Autonomous Systems detailed what is currently being developed by the company. The first is HMAS, for Heterogeneous autonomous Multi-Agent Systems, which on the land can consist of UAVs and UGVs, while at sea it might include UAVs, USVs and UUVs. Among the challenges mentioned by Dr. Konstantopoulos we find complex coordination, interoperability, decision-maxing complexity, ethical and safety concerns, communication and technology limitations, and last but not least the high initial cost. On the benefits side he mentioned enhanced capabilities, increased efficiency, scalability, robustness and redundancy, cost-efficiency and most importantly reduced human risk. One of the systems under development is a self-stabilising platform for naval units that can host up to four UAVs, providing a perfectly horizontal landing and take-off spot even in high sea states. It also includes a battery auto-reloading system when UAVs rest on their landing spots, can easily become a storage box, and can be installed and removed quickly. According to the speaker, the platform is currently at TRL 7. CYRIC is also working hardly on swarm concepts. Swarm Intelligence sees multiple UAVs operating from a UGV platform in a cooperative manner, the aim being to be able to control wide inaccessible areas. It can also include LMs that will neutralise possible targets in the area.
Photos by P. Valpolini
