Euronaval 2024 – Kerveros weaponised drone unveiled with Akeron MP missile
At Euronaval 2024 a weaponized octocopter could be seen at the Altus stand, the Kerveros, the name given by MBDA and Altus to the latter company Atlas 8 VTOL UAS armed with Akeron MP missiles from MBDA
The Paris naval exhibition allowed Altus not only to unveil the most recent product developed by the Crete-based company, the Atlas 8 heavy-lifter octocopter, but also to show the result of its cooperation with MBDA, the European missile company, as the drone was exhibited fitted with two antitank missiles, the weaponized system being named Kerveros.
The Atlas 8 was unveiled at DEFEA 2023 in Athens, the UAV being still in development at that time. Two versions have been developed since, an all-electric one which is finalized and was the one showcased in Paris, and a hybrid one, which is still in development phase. The two version will differ not only for propulsion and performances but also for dimensions; their architecture will be identical the central fuselage hosting electronics, batteries, and the internal combustion engine (ICE) on the hybrid version. The four couples of counter-rotating two-blade rotors are installed at the extremity of four spars protruding at 90° from the fuselage, each being activated by an electric motor. A high landing gear allows to install a cumbersome payload under the fuselage. We will concentrate here on the all-electric powered Atlas 8, as the UAS seen in Paris was definitely the all-electric version, the hybrid one having ICE protruding from the top of the fuselage. Available data indicate a 90 kg take-off mass with a 40 kg payload. The two 10S1P Lithium-Ion batteries with an over 100 Ah capacity each ensure a 35-minute flight endurance, the Atlas 8 maximum speed being of around 80 km/h, operating ceiling being 5,000 metres. With spars and blade folded its dimensions are 1050x900x400 mm, while when ready to fly its footprint is 2290x2400x680 mm. The drone is capable of automatic take-off and landing, and navigates under GNSS, anti-jamming and inertial platform ensuring navigation in GNSS-denied conditions.
MBDA and ALTUS decided to jointly develop a new generation of anti-tank and anti-infrastructure weapon system based on the ATLAS 8 heavy drone armed with two medium-range Akeron MP tactical missiles, the resulting weaponised system being named Kerveros, for Cerberus in Greek language. Each Akeron MP fire-and-forget missile weighs 15 kg (including the launch canister), is 1.3 metres long in the canister, has a diameter of 140 mm, and a range of over 4,000 metres. It can be used as a Fire & Forget system, acquiring the target before launch, as well as a Man-On-The-Loop weapon, the operator being able to change target or refine the point of impact until the last moment. The day/night capability is provided by the high-resolution dual mode uncooled IR/TV seeker. Before launch the operator can select the warhead mode depending on the target, tank, infrastructure, or personnel. The attack profile can also be selected, either top attack or direct hit, which gives considerable flexibility, penetration on rolled-homogeneous armour after neutralising the explosive reactive armour being of over 1,000 mm.
The Kerveros weaponised drone allows to conduct armed reconnaissance missions in hostile areas, approach and engage armoured or hard targets, as well as escort convoys. Its VTOL capacity allows it to be operated from naval platforms for neutralizing land targets ashore or naval targets at sea, hence its presence at Euronaval. EDR On-Line understood that the Kerveros system is currently being tested at a range on the Crete Island.
Of course, a weaponised version of the hybrid version will considerably enhance the system capacity, starting from the payload, which should double, but mostly the endurance, the ICE reloading the batteries in flight allowing to stay airborne for 3 to 4 hours. Also, the range will increase, from current 30 km to over 100 km, the data-ling being designed accordingly.
Photos by N. Novichkov and P. Valpolini
