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Leonardo debuts new target drone at Paris Air Show

By Stephen Carlson
Leonardo's new M-40, pictured, is based on the Mirach 100/5 target drone, which is already in service and has been widely exported by the company. Photo courtesy of Leonardo
Leonardo's new M-40, pictured, is based on the Mirach 100/5 target drone, which is already in service and has been widely exported by the company. Photo courtesy of Leonardo

June 16 (UPI) -- Leonardo debuted its new Mirach 40 aerial target drone at the the 2017 Paris Air Show, the company announced on Friday.

The M-40 is based off of the Mirach 100/5 target drone that is already in service and has been widely exported.

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The target drone is a remotely piloted aerial system that is designed to mimic the flight paths and speed of different aircraft and missiles. It can simulate bath radar and infrared threats, allowing crews to train on it without actually shooting the drone down -- allowing it to also be reused.

Leonardo claims it can offer medium-to-high performance at much lower costs than similar competitors. The company says the drone is suitable for surface-to-air artillery and missile training from both ground and sea, and as a target for aircraft.

Like the Mirach 100/5, it has sea-skimming ability in order to simulate incoming anti-ship missiles, and can swiftly transition to high G-force maneuvering. It has a single multi-fuel commercial engine as opposed to two in order to cut down on maintenance requirements.

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