Unmanned Aerial Vehicles otherwise known as drones are now a large part of war.  Drones drop ordinance and do reconnaissance but all of Australia’s allies have developed a new type of drone classed as lethal attack drone or loitering munitions.  These new drones can drop missiles and bombs or kamikaze strike ground targets.

Australian Defence Forces are also developing these drones to work with American Anti-Radiation missiles which destroys Surface to Air Missiles (SAM) and radio jammers without oversight from a command base.

All eyes are on The Australian International Aerospace and Defense Expositions at Avalon airport, as BAE systems debuts the first Australian developed lethal drone, the STRICXS.  It is hoped that the system will be adopted and manufactured quickly to bridge the gap to Australia’s allies.

Image: Image: Shutterstock: Gorodenkoff

Produced By: Dominic Giles

Featured In Story: Dr. Malcolm Davis, Senior Analyst in Defense Strategy and Capability at The Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI).

First aired on The Wire, Tuesday 28 February 2023