US Startup Develops Football-Sized Kamikaze Drone

American defense startup XDOWN has developed the P.S. Killer (PSK), a lightweight, throwable tactical unmanned aerial system (UAS) designed for rapid deployment in combat scenarios.

The Defense blog reported on this.

The PS Killer is designed to be a “throw-and-forget” drone, which results in a convenient shape similar to a Soccer ball for easy swinging and throwing.

XDOWN describes the PSK’s deployment process as simple: “Grab it – Switch it ON – Throw it.” The drone launches into operation within two seconds, much like a quarterback throwing a football. To activate it, a special button is placed on the body.

In the air, the drone needs about two seconds to spread its wings and propeller blades in the aft part.

The P.S. Killer is built for Special Operations Forces (SOF) and counterterrorism missions, offering speed, stealth, and precision targeting.

For counterterrorism operations, the PSK offers precision strike capabilities, reducing collateral damage in urban environments.

It is stated that the drone was capable of reaching speeds of about 250 km/h and has a phenomenal range of over 60 kilometers.

At the same time, it is not clear how the drone should be controlled under such parameters: should it capture the target before throwing or should the operator manually control the drone? The photos do not show any optical devices.

In addition, controlling drones at a distance of more than 5-10 kilometers requires the use of large control stations, and in the case of the declared 60 km, also communication repeaters.

Part of the long range may be explained by the possibility of the drone’s operation as part of a “swarm of drones”, as stated by the developers.

Militarnyi previously reported on another American company, Cummings Aerospace, which had completed the flight tests of its Hellhound kamikaze jet drone.