DEFTECH LLC, a cutting-edge defense technology company from Azerbaijan, unveiled a new family of reconnaissance and attack platforms featuring a unique tandem-wing design at the ADEX 2024 arms exhibition in Baku. Originally introduced as conceptual models at ADEX 2022, these platforms have matured through flight testing and are now designed for long-endurance surveillance missions and attack roles. In collaboration with Azerbaijan’s Ministry of National Defense Production and UAV solutions providers, DEFTECH has made significant advancements with the DT-101 and DT-001 drone designs and their associated loitering munitions. The tandem-wing configuration, a hallmark of DEFTECH’s design, enhances the UAVs’ aerodynamics by providing improved longitudinal stability and lift efficiency, making them highly effective across various flight regimes.
The DT-101 is a Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) UAV built for long-endurance surveillance and targeting missions. It boasts a maximum takeoff weight of 55-75 kg and a wingspan of 3.6 meters. It is powered by a hybrid propulsion system combining a 180 CC internal combustion engine with four electric VTOL motors. Capable of reaching cruising altitudes between 3,000 and 5,000 meters, the DT-101 can remain airborne for up to 10 hours, depending on mission requirements.
The heavier DT-001 UAV is runway-launched, with a 75-120 kg takeoff weight, powered by a 360 CC internal combustion engine. It is designed to carry heavier payloads and supports up to two F-1500 loitering munitions under its fuselage. The DT-101 and DT-001 can carry a range of mission payloads, including EO/IR cameras, multispectral sensors, LIDAR, SIGINT/ELINT pods, and jamming equipment.
The F-1500 loitering munition, specifically designed for the DT-001, is a compact tube or air-launched system weighing 7 kg. It can loiter for 20-40 minutes and strike targets up to 40 km away. The tube-launched version carries a 1.5 kg warhead with options for high explosive fragmenting, armor-piercing, or thermobaric warheads, while the air-launched version can carry a larger 3 kg warhead. The F-1500 features AI-based target identification, anti-jamming technologies, and an autopilot system for autonomous targeting.
The larger F-5000E loitering munition, launched via catapult, weighs 16 kg and carries a 5 kg warhead. Offering greater strike power, it has a range of 250 km and an airborne endurance of up to five hours, providing increased tactical flexibility compared to the F-1500.
Azerbaijan has been an early adopter of drone and loitering munitions technologies, widely using these systems in combat. The progress made in domestically developed systems like those from DEFTECH will significantly bolster the country’s defense industry, enhancing resilience amid regional instability.
