Chacal-2
Notes: This is a small, quick, agile French drone for use in reconnaissance, target designation and acquisition, and meteorological data acquisition. Despite its small size, the Chacal-2 is packed with sensors, ranging from cameras to a laser designator to weather data sensors. It is small enough for tactical use, yet sophisticated enough for more involved missions. It is also a stealth aircraft; all attempts to use radar or radar homing weapons against it are two levels harder than normal, and all IR attempts against it are one level harder than normal.
Twilight 2000 Notes: The Chacal-2 has the unusual distinction of having never crashed until the first one was shot down during the Twilight War.
Price |
Fuel Type |
Load |
Veh Wt |
Ground Crew |
Mnt |
Night Vision |
$8,000 |
AvG |
20 kg |
75 kg |
3 |
4 |
FLIR, Image Intensification |
Tr Mov |
Com Mov |
Mnvr/Acc Agl/Turn |
Fuel Cap |
Fuel Cons |
Ceiling |
500 |
890 (100) |
NA 425 7/5 70/50 |
34 |
34 |
3050 |
Guidance/Control |
Sensors/Equipment |
Takeoff/Landing |
Autonomous Function, Autopilot, Manual Control (Radio Link, 44 km), GPS |
Still Camera, Video Camera, Real Time Camera Link, Laser Designator, Meteorological Sensors, Secure Radio |
Takeoff: Rail launch with RATO boost, Runway (585m); Landing: Parachute, Runway (435m); Primitive Runway |
Crecerelle
Notes: This drone is used alongside the CL-289, the Hunter, and some other French UAVs in French service. It is a delta-winged vehicle similar in appearance to a small fighter, but with a pusher propeller engine. It is launched from a rail on a truck and recovered by parachute, and has no landing gear. Airbags deploy when landing to soften the impact.
Price |
Fuel Type |
Load |
Veh Wt |
Ground Crew |
Mnt |
Night Vision |
$8,600 |
G, AvG |
34.93 kg |
120 kg |
3 |
4 |
Passive IR, Image Intensification |
Tr Mov |
Com Mov |
Mnvr/Acc Agl/Turn |
Fuel Cap |
Fuel Cons |
Ceiling |
170 |
305 (120) |
NA 145 5/2 50/20 |
37.4 |
7.5 |
3050 |
Guidance/Control |
Sensors/Equipment |
Takeoff/Landing |
GPS, Autopilot, Manual Control (Radio Link, 90 km) |
Video Camera, Still Camera, 6xIR Flares, Real-Time Video Link |
Takeoff: Rail w/RATO booster; Landing: Parachute |
Dragon
Notes: This is an unusual UAV in that it is not used for reconnaissance, but is instead used for jamming of radio and radar. It is thus often carried by aircraft for use in target zones, or launched above battlegrounds. When this drone is present above a battle area, all enemy radio communication and radar usage is two levels more difficult than normal in a radius of 10 kilometers. The Dragon may be set to jam a specific set of frequencies before launching, depending on the origin of the enemy's equipment. Like the Crecerelle, it has no landing gear and is rail-launched using RATO and recovered via parachute with airbags deploying before impact.
Price |
Fuel Type |
Load |
Veh Wt |
Ground Crew |
Mnt |
Night Vision |
$10, 750 |
G, AvG |
NA |
150 kg |
2 |
5 |
None |
Tr Mov |
Com Mov |
Mnvr/Acc Agl/Turn |
Fuel Cap |
Fuel Cons |
Ceiling |
130 |
230 (90) |
NA 110 6/3 60/30 |
47 |
5.88 |
2000 |
Guidance/Control |
Sensors/Equipment |
Takeoff/Landing |
GPS, Autopilot, Manual Control (Radio Link, 50 km) |
Radio Jammers, Radar Jammers, 6xChaff Bundles |
Takeoff: Rail w/RATO Boost; Landing: Parachute |
Fox AT1
Notes: This is a French reconnaissance drone first introduced in 1988, and used by France, various NATO countries, and UN forces, as well as various civilian companies and governmental agencies for projects as diverse as espionage work to fire spotting. It is lightweight and capable for its size, but short-ranged. It is a very small and quiet machine, unlikely to be detected at its normal operating altitude. The Fox AT1 can carry small droppable loads on 4 hardpoints under the wings; these may be small weapons, but are usually sensors such as tracking units or sonobuoys.
Price |
Fuel Type |
Load |
Veh Wt |
Ground Crew |
Mnt |
Night Vision |
$6,450 |
G, AvG |
15 kg |
90 kg |
3 |
3 |
FLIR (Optional) |
Tr Mov |
Com Mov |
Mnvr/Acc Agl/Turn |
Fuel Cap |
Fuel Cons |
Ceiling |
145 |
275 (80) |
NA 130 7/4 70/40 |
39.75 |
26.5 |
3000 |
Guidance/Control |
Sensors/Equipment |
Armament |
Takeoff/Landing |
Autopilot, Manual Control (Radio Link, 150 km) |
Day Video Camera or Video w/FLIR, Optical Chemical Sniffer, Geiger Counter, Meteorological Sensors |
4 Hardpoints |
Takeoff: Catapult; Landing: Parachute w/Airbag |
Fox AT2
Notes: This is a larger version of the Fox AT1, with larger fuel tanks for greatly improved range, a larger payload, better cameras, and better sensors. It is deployed by the same countries and agencies as the AT1, and was introduced at the same time.
Price |
Fuel Type |
Load |
Veh Wt |
Ground Crew |
Mnt |
Night Vision |
$9,675 |
G, AvG |
30 kg |
135 kg |
3 |
3 |
FLIR (Optional), Image Intensification |
Tr Mov |
Com Mov |
Mnvr/Acc Agl/Turn |
Fuel Cap |
Fuel Cons |
Ceiling |
145 |
275 (80) |
NA 130 7/4 70/40 |
79.5 |
8.7 |
3000 |
Guidance/Control |
Sensors/Equipment |
Armament |
Takeoff/Landing |
Autopilot, Manual Control (Radio Link, 150 km) |
Day Video Camera or Video w/FLIR, Still Camera, Synthetic Aperture Radar, Optical Chemical Sniffer, Geiger Counter, Meteorological Sensors |
4 Hardpoints |
Takeoff: Catapult; Landing: Parachute w/Airbag |
Fox-TX
Notes: This is another French-built electronic warfare UAV, built for a slightly different mission. The Fox-TX is designed to intercept enemy radio communications and relay them to intelligence units, detect enemy radar and radios, and then jam them. When in jamming mode, any enemy radio and radar units operate at two levels more difficult. The frequencies of jamming may be programmed before launch to deal with equipment of varying origin. The Fox-TX has two hardpoints under the wings to carry small weapons extra electronics, or suchlike, and can also be equipped with an internal warhead and used as an antiradar missile.
Price |
Fuel Type |
Load |
Veh Wt |
Ground Crew |
Mnt |
Night Vision |
$9,700 |
G, AvG |
30 kg |
135 kg |
3 |
5 |
None |
Tr Mov |
Com Mov |
Mnvr/Acc Agl/Turn |
Fuel Cap |
Fuel Cons |
Ceiling |
130 |
230 (80) |
NA 110 7/4 70/40 |
42.4 |
8.5 |
3000 |
Guidance/Control |
Sensors/Equipment |
Armament |
Takeoff/Landing |
GPS, Autopilot, Manual Control (Radio Link, 150 km) |
Radio Direction Finder, Radar Detector, Radio Jammer, Radar Jammer, SIGINT Gear, Radar Homer, Home-On-Jam, Secure Radios, Radio Relay |
2 Hardpoints |
Takeoff: Rail w/RATO boost; Landing: Parachute w/Airbag |
Heliot
Notes: Though normally operated as a UAV, the French Heliot may also take up to two crewmembers. Due to this capability, it was sometimes used as a rescue vehicle for downed aircrews, though its slow speed and relative fragility as well as its short range limited this type of employment. It more normal use was as a multipurpose UAV, able to perform reconnaissance, electronic warfare, or decoy roles. In the reconnaissance role, it carries cameras and vision gear; in the EW role, radio and radar jammers, and in the decoy role, flare and chaff dispensers. In the rescue role, it carries nothing other than its guidance equipment and its occupants. Unlike most RPVs, it is a mini-helicopter.
Price |
Fuel Type |
Load |
Veh Wt |
Ground Crew/Crew |
Mnt |
Night Vision |
$32,000 |
AvG |
120 kg |
450 kg |
3/2 |
5 |
Image Intensification |
Tr Mov |
Com Mov |
Mnvr/Acc Agl/Turn |
Fuel Cap |
Fuel Cons |
Ceiling |
75 |
135 |
30/65 |
132.45 |
53 |
3000 |
Guidance/Control |
Sensors/Equipment |
Takeoff/Landing |
GPS, Autopilot, Manual Control Radio Link, 100 km), Direct Pilot Control |
(Rescue Mode) None; (Reconnaissance Mode) Video Camera, Still Camera, Real-Time Video Link; (EW Mode) Radio Jammer, Radar Jammer, Radio Direction Finder, Radar Detector; (Decoy Mode) 10 Chaff Bundles, 10 IR Flares |
13m Primitive Runway |
Vigilant
Notes: This is a small French-made mini-copter that is used for primarily immediate local reconnaissance, but can also carry other payloads for custom missions (common ones are laser designation and artillery spotting). The payload package is modular and easy to change between missions. Its drawback is that the vehicle is slow, but it is also a stable platform for intelligence gathering, and it's small size and quiet engine makes it hard to spot.
Price |
Fuel Type |
Load |
Veh Wt |
Ground Crew |
Mnt |
Night Vision |
$2,850 (S/R) |
G, AvG |
8.16 kg |
40 kg |
2 |
3 |
Optional Depending on Payload |
Tr Mov |
Com Mov |
Mnvr/Acc Agl/Turn |
Fuel Cap |
Fuel Cons |
Ceiling |
60 |
100 |
10/50 |
11.75 |
11.75 |
1830 |
Guidance/Control |
Sensors/Equipment |
Takeoff/Landing |
Autopilot; Autonomous Function, Manual Control (Radio Link, 28 km) |
(Typical Packages) Video Camera and Still Camera w/Real-Time Link; Video Camera w/Image Intensification and Real-Time Link; Radio Jammer; Radar Jammer; Laser Designator; all w/Secure Radio |
4.5m Primitive Runway |