Germany Tests Unmanned IRIS-T Carrier Designed to Intercept Guided Bomb Carriers

German company POLARIS Raumflugzeuge, in cooperation with Diehl Defence, has successfully conducted the first test flight of the COBRA 600 unmanned aerial vehicle. The drone covered a distance of more than 20 km over the Baltic Sea.

The test flight was conducted as part of the joint AirLAS (Airborne Launching and Strike System) project. Its goal is to develop a lightweight unmanned carrier for air-to-air missiles, according to Hartpunkt.

The aircraft, with a takeoff weight of more than 600 kg, is designed to carry and launch an IRIS-T missile. The system is intended to complement combat aircraft and ground-based air defense assets.

The primary purpose of COBRA is to extend the operational range of IRIS-T missiles, particularly to intercept aircraft carrying guided bombs before they release their weapons.

The concept is based on a reusable unmanned platform carrying a single guided missile. The first test flight was conducted without a missile mock-up mounted on the airframe, but this is planned for subsequent tests.

Earlier, German company STARK delivered the first Seetaube surface drone to the Bundeswehr’s Cyber and Information Domain Service.

The drone is equipped with cameras, sensors, and a radar for conducting maritime reconnaissance.