Tel Aviv: Drones have become a major weapon system in recent and ongoing wars especially in Ukraine and Israel. Israeli company Flying Production, a subsidiary of Elbit Systems has unveiled first details of its new vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL), the X-intra. The system was developed based on the extensive use of the company’s TerminaThor armed VTOL.
This version has been extensively used in the ongoing war and exported to many countries including the US and England.
According to Eyal Dahan, CEO of Flying production, the TerminaThor is the armed version of the bestselling different versions of the Thor that can carry a variety of payloads. “There are currently over 3000 Thor VTOL around the world. It is a Unique VTOL, with an endurance of 75 minutes and communication range of unto 20 km. The Thor can take off automatically, perform a pre designed mission and land. The Thor is the main VTOL used by the Israeli defence forces for a variety of missions,” Eyal Dahan said.
The company’s CEO added that the Thor is very reliable and therefore armed forces do not hesitate to equip it with very advanced, very expensive payloads. “The Thor can operate in GPS denied conditions and carry a payload of 13 kg.”
Dahan demonstrated how different payloads can be attached to the Thor in the field, in seconds. “This is a big advantage as army units in many cases need different payloads in the same mission.” The armed version of the Thor, the Terminator can carry six canistered bomblets each carrying 190 grams of explosives. These are released from altitudes of up to 450 metres.
According to the company, TerminaTHOR supports diverse operational scenarios, featuring a powerful foldable, backpacked platform capable of operation in various weather and terrain conditions. Equipped with autonomous takeoff, precision landing, and autonomous mission flight capabilities. TerminaTHOR offers an agile, compact, and fully stabilised weapon system.
The company’s CEO pointed out that the Terminator Thor is designed to extend infantry squad lethality, and enables fire loop closure, ensuring a swift and decisive response to manned threats or light armoured vehicles on the battlefield. He said that the extensive use of the different version of the Thor used by the infantry units of the IDF pointed very clearly to a need for a bigger VTOL.
The newest addition to the company’s line of systems , the X-Intra is powered by 8 electric motors and can carry a 30 kg payload. Other specifications of this new version are still classified but it is clear that the vast use of VTOL in the war increased the demand for such systems and that Flying Production is therefore developing the X-intra but other advanced versions are expected in the near future.
As part of the tour in the company’s production line, an initial glimpse was given of the company’s new drone, the X-intra, which is scheduled to enter serial production in the coming weeks. The X-intra is a multi-mission, military, tactical, portable drone, designed for logistical and offensive missions. What makes the new drone unique and groundbreaking is the fact that it is a portable tactical drone, which can be operated within 2 minutes and at the same time its ability to carry an extremely high payload of up to 30 kg for an extended period of time.
The new drone was built on the basis of the extensive operational experience and knowledge that the company has accumulated over the years, with over twenty thousand hours of flight in an operational environment, and similar to the company’s other drones, the X-intra is equipped with hardware with extremely powerful computing power, to integrate advanced AI capabilities, built-in navigation immunity, dynamic flight control, and more.
-The writer is an Israel-based freelance journalist. The views expressed are of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda
