IAV 2020: Rafael’s Spike Firefly latest developments

At IAV 2020 Rafael showed their most recent development for the Spike Firefly loitering munition, and presented a mockup of the most recent version.

[banto]

payload damage is enhanced when the LiPo battery powering the thing also explodes.

[user]

So basically it's a flying death tube.

[dankoz]

A very novel design. The perks of a helo/vtol design compared to a fixed wing are obvious. The camera is a separate matter. UAV controllers using “conventional” fixed wing drones have a more stable flight path which makes camera controls easier on the user compared to the day time footage this showed. BUT, the infrared footage showed was extremely stable. So I don’t know if the first footage was purely due to inexperience or weather. No soldier wants to spends time fighting their equipment when the enemy is shooting their friends.

If the camera is more often stable like in the infrared footage then this could become one of the most dangerous drones in an urban combat theatre.

[markr.katzman]

Knock knock...who's there? (not a good day for terrorists).

[ramaeschlimann]

Interesting, but better if you have a Black Eagle 50 with your crew. Pretty much better and stable. Maybe this could be a hit, because of price and portability, but in image quality. We will see if Firefly have success.

[HanSolo__]

Rafael PR guys are out of their minds to let video like this out
It all small houses over and over again...

[vijayasfitnessmantra]

It's definitely a great solution for the insurgents