South African company, Milkor, has launched the largest drone ever produced in Africa, Milkor 380

The drone can fly for 35 hours straight without landing.

It has a range of up to 2,000km, and a maximum altitude of 9,000 metres.

Meet Milkor 380, the largest drone ever produced in Africa by Pretoria-based company Milkor.

According to Daniël du Plessis from Milkor, the drone is intended to be used by the Defence industry, however, it can also be used for border control and fighting against poaching.

The drone, which first took flight last month, can fly for 35 hours straight without landing.

Having five drones ready by the end of 2023 will cost a pretty penny, however du Plessis has confirmed that governments on several continents have already shown interest in the first-of-its-kind drone.

According to Daniel du Plessis, the marketing and communications director at Milkor, the first flight of the UAV signifies a remarkable achievement for both Milkor and the South African Defence Industry (SADI), adding that flight trials and sensor integration will remain at the forefront of developments throughout the year 2023.

With an impressive endurance capability of up to 35 hours, the Milkor 380 is categorised as a medium altitude long endurance (MALE) UAV. Its five hardpoints can accommodate a diverse range of weaponry and equipment, including synthetic aperture radar, jammers, electro-optical gimbals, and more. Notably, all avionics, communications, and payload integration capabilities have been developed in-house, solidifying Milkor’s standing in the UAV industry.

Unveiled in 2018, Military Africa adds that the Milkor 380 embarked on taxi testing earlier this year. The UAV is engineered for extended intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance missions.