Attack drone Sarisa II fires Thales FZ275 – the rocket the Austrian Armed Forces will soon use

The Greek company SAS Technology has successfully completed a test series with its attack drone Sarisa II (SRS-2A). The drone can fire 70-millimetre Thales FZ275 rockets, both unguided and laser-guided. The same weapon will also be used on the new Leonardo AW169 Lion light utility helicopter of the Austrian Armed Forces (Bundesheer).

The firing trials took place from 10 to 12 February at the Litochoro test range in Greece. They were supervised by the Greek Ministry of Defence, with Thales Belgium and Hellenic Defence Systems (HDS) taking part. The Sarisa II hit its targets precisely with both variants of the FZ275 rocket.

The trials concluded on the final day with a demonstration for the Hellenic Armed Forces command and foreign delegations. From an altitude of 450 metres, the drone fired an FZ275 LGR rocket in both hover and horizontal flight mode. It remained stable, and the deviation was less than one metre.

What the attack drone fires: from Hydra 70 to FZ275

The origins of the 2.75-inch (70-millimetre) folding-fin air-to-ground rocket date back to the late 1940s. The Hydra 70, weighing about twelve kilograms, is launched from multiple launchers, singly or in salvoes; shortly after launch it reaches around Mach 2, and its effective range is five to eight kilometres. Because it is light, it is easy to handle on the ground: personnel can reload quickly and without technical aids.

The Thales FZ275 is a fully European rocket that is fully compatible with the Hydra 70 system. The LGR variant has a semi-active laser seeker and is steered by four deployable canards. The rocket is 1.8 metres long, weighs 12.7 kilograms and carries a 4.1-kilogram high-explosive warhead with pre-formed fragments. Its effective range is up to seven kilometres; at distances of up to six kilometres the deviation remains below one metre. The fragments are lethal within a radius of nine metres.

Targets for the FZ275 include soft-skinned and lightly armoured vehicles, radar and communications installations, and unfortified or lightly fortified positions.

Tests and operations show that, with optimal intercept geometry – i.e. when the target moves at a tangential speed below 60 km/h – the rocket can also be effective against moving ground targets, as well as against air targets such as drones or cruise missiles. The weapon family was originally developed for aircraft, but ground-based launch platforms now use it as well. It receives its target via a coded laser beam provided either by the launch platform itself or by an external source.

Two launchers for the Bundesheer's AW169MA

The Austrian Armed Forces are procuring the Thales FZ275 LGR weapon system for the Leonardo AW169MA light utility helicopter. It can carry up to two FZ233 launchers, each loaded with seven unguided or guided FZ275 rockets. Deliveries begin this year.