Jet-Powered Drone with IRIS-T Missile Unveiled in Germany

Germany’s Diehl Defence, in collaboration with Polaris Raumflugzeuge, has unveiled the AIRLAS Cobra 600 air defense drone concept.

The design is a large jet drone intended to deliver the IRIS-T air-to-air guided missile over a significant distance from the launch site, reports TWZ.

This approach should allow for a significant expansion of the engagement zone compared to traditional ground-based launchers.

The Cobra 600 concept is based on the idea of a so-called “jet taxi.”

Engineers sought to address the main shortcoming of the IRIS-T SLS and IRIS-T SLM systems—their limited ranges of 12 and 40 kilometers, respectively.

To achieve this, the missile was integrated into an unmanned platform capable of delivering the munition hundreds of kilometers away from the ground system’s position.

Polaris Raumflugzeuge developed the drone’s design.

The powerplant consists of two compact JetCat P1000-PRO turbojet engines.

At the same time, the fuselage and air intake design allows for the installation of two additional engines to increase payload capacity or flight speed.

One of the Cobra 600’s key features is its retractable tricycle landing gear. This allows it to take off and land on both conventional runways and specific sections of highways.

Unlike many similar solutions, the new drone is reusable.

If the missile was not launched or the mission was terminated early, the aircraft can return to base and land.

IRIS-T under the drone

The system’s armament consists of a single IRIS-T missile.

It is mounted on a standard aviation pylon, similar to those used on Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets.

The Cobra 600’s stated flight range with a combat payload is approximately 400 kilometers.

Thanks to this, the system can engage targets at ranges previously out of reach for systems of this class.

Target designation is received from ground-based IRIS-T systems via a secure data link, and to maintain communication over long distances or in electronic warfare conditions, the developers are considering using satellite systems, specifically Starlink.

Currently, the project is primarily funded by Diehl Defence, though the developers have already secured investment from at least one interested nation.

The Cobra 600 has also completed its first flight tests with a mock-up of the missile on board, confirming that the program has moved into the practical testing phase.

This concept is not new. Previously, the Russians had already begun installing R-60 missiles on Shahed drones.