Rheinmetall KZO
Summary
| Category | Military Drones |
| Origin country | 🇩🇪 Germany |
| Manufacturer | Rheinmetall |
Technical specifications
| Version: None | |
|---|---|
| Endurance | 4 hours |
| Wingspan | 3.4 m (11.2 ft) |
| Length | 2.3 m (7.5 ft) |
| Powerplant | 1 x Two-stroke engine |
All operators
Description
The KZO (Kleinflugzeug für Zielortung) is a German unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) developed for target acquisition and locating mobile threats. Manufactured by Airbus Defence and Space Airborne Solutions GmbH—a joint venture of Airbus Defence and Space and Rheinmetall—the KZO replaced the Drohne CL 289 in German Army service.
A standard operational system comprises 10 UAVs and two ground units, which contain a control station, a radio vehicle, a launch vehicle, a maintenance vehicle with a refueling facility, and a recovery vehicle. The UAV launches directly from a container using a booster rocket and recovers via parachute.
The KZO airframe has a wingspan of 3.42 meters, a length of 2.28 meters, and a body diameter of 0.36 meters. It incorporates design features to reduce its visual, acoustic, radar, and infrared signatures. Propulsion is provided by a noise-reduced two-stroke engine driving a two-blade propeller, allowing a cruise speed of 220 km/h and an endurance of four hours. The onboard sensor payload consists of a stabilized forward-looking infrared sensor, a digital data recorder with a 10-minute video capacity, and a real-time datalink. Navigation is conducted via inertial guidance and datalink-based positioning, with GPS available as an auxiliary system.
The initial production system was exported to China.
Main Variants
- Taifun: A conceptual armed variant designed with an intelligent millimeter-wave radar seeker for autonomous search and destroy missions utilizing a hollow-charge warhead.
- Mücke: An electronic warfare variant.
- Fledermaus: An electronic warfare variant.