WB Electronics Warmate

History of WB Electronics Warmate

The "Warmate" Combat Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (CUAV) by WB Electronics Poland is described as a "loitering ammunition" solution - an optional expendable and Highly lethal airborne Search, Track, and Attack (STA) cross-battlefield capability system with auxiliary inherent reconnaissance capabilities. At its core, the aircraft is a lightweight design and compact size, a key component of modern warfare for the Polish Army today, with 1,000 of the design on order.

Current (2020) foreign operators in the series include Ukraine, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and (possibly unconfirmed) Turkey.

The aircraft is equipped with a modular warhead that can be equipped with common FRAGmentation (FRAG), HEAT (High Explosive, Anti-Tank) and thermobaric solutions to help it deal with "soft" and hard/destructive armored targets exposed or covered. This flexibility gives the Warmate great tactical flexibility on the modern battlefield, capable of attacking many Targets of Opportunity (ToO).

Its general layout is traditional, with a tubular rocket-like fuselage with a straight shoulder-mounted main aircraft, a V-shaped tail, and a twin-blade propeller unit in the thrust configuration at the extreme end of the design. The aircraft is launched from a portable pneumatic mount through a fully automatic process and can be further controlled by ground crew. Heavy-duty touchscreen Ground Control Station (GCS) with digital encrypted data link, built-in automatic antenna tracker (tripod mounted) that transmits live/full color video to the receiving unit.

Attacks are carried out using video feeds almost precisely through manual or automated functions. Various autonomous flight mode options are built into the design, including loitering, fly to waypoint/cruise to waypoint, and attack.

Only two operators are required to bring the complete Warmate system into the field and ready to fly. During assembly, the main aircraft and tail are mounted on the fuselage, and the finished aircraft is mounted on its pneumatic launcher.

Although the product is listed as a consumable, there is an automatic recovery system for reconnaissance missions using Warmate.

The aircraft has a range of up to 15 kilometers (direct line of sight - LoS), a mission duration of up to 70 minutes, and an operational ceiling of 500 meters. Dimensions include a wingspan of 1.6 meters and a length of 1.1 meters.

The maximum take-off weight (MTOW) reaches 5.3kg and the maximum payload weight is 1400g. The vehicle flies at speeds of up to 150 km/h.

"Warmate 2" is an evolution of the Warmate series with larger size, heavier weight and improved battlefield capabilities. As such, it is typically mounted on a vehicle and increases daytime and thermal imaging while retaining its anti-personnel/anti-tank capabilities.

This version was co-developed with TAWAZUN.

Specification

BASIC

Years of Service

2016

Origins

Poland

Status

Active.

Crew

0

Production

30

Manufacturer

WB Electronics S.A. (WB Group) Poland

Carrier

Poland; Turkey (possibly); Ukraine; United Arab Emirates

Roles

Ground attack (bombing, strafing)

The ability to conduct air strikes against ground targets using (but not limited to) artillery, bombs, rockets, rockets, etc.

Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance (ISR), reconnaissance

Monitor ground targets/target areas to assess surrounding threat levels, enemy strength, or enemy movement.

Unmanned

Aircraft designed (or later developed) have inherent unmanned capabilities and can fill a variety of battlefield roles.

Dimensions and Weight

Length

3.6 feet

(1.10m)

Width/span

4.6 feet

(1.40m)

Cured weight

9 pt

(4kg)

MTOW

9 pt

(4kg)

Wgt Difference

+0 pt

(+0 kg)

Main Aircraft Structure

Monoplane/Shoulder/Straight

Monoplane

Designed to use a single main wing main aircraft; this is the most popular arrangement of main aircraft.

Shoulder

The main aircraft is mounted on the upper part of the fuselage, usually on an imaginary line that intersects the pilot's shoulders.

Straight

Floor plans involve the use of simple, straight main plan elements.

(struct descriptor reference base production variant WB Electronics Warmate)

Performance

Installed:

1 x electric propulsion motor, driving a twin-blade propeller unit in thrust arrangement at the rear of the fuselage.

Maximum speed

50 km/h

(80 km/h | 43 knots)

Maximum

1,640 feet

(500 m | 0 km)

Area

25 km

(40 km | 74 nautical miles)

Range (MPH) Subsonic: <614mph | Transonic: 614-921 | Hypersonic: 921-3836 | Hypersonic: 3836-7673 | Hypersonic: 7673-19180 | Reentry: > 19030

Weapon

Internal HE (High Explosive) warhead/detonator.