The UAV is designed to carry and drop rocket-propelled grenade munitions. (Janes/Christopher Petrov)
The Bulgarian Ministry of Defence (MoD)-owned Terem Holding has been given a licence from Ukrainian company Rarog Aerospace to manufacture quadcopter first-person view (FPV) unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), designed to drop munitions on targets, Janes learnt at the international defence exhibition HEMUS 2024 in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, on 6 June.
Luben Yovchev, head of research and development at Terem, told Janes that the agreement is a private initiative, with Rarog transferring the intellectual property to allow Terem Holding to manufacture and sell the UAVs and associated control systems.
There will also be joint development between the companies focused on building autonomous targeting solutions for the drone in its terminal stage of flight. Yovchev emphasised the importance of supply chain security, and Terem is working to create a hub of local suppliers to produce the necessary parts to manufacture small drones domestically.
The UAV has a hexcopter design equipped with six electric motors and is designed to carry a single-charge rocket-propelled grenade warhead to engage static and mobile targets, including armoured fighting vehicles (AFVs).
Yovchev said Terem is keen to develop autonomous terminal guidance solutions for FPV UAVs. Autonomous terminal guidance could allow them to complete missions even if the connection is lost, provided the operator has guided the UAV close enough to a target. He added that the company has plans to develop an FPV UAV that can attack jamming equipment by detecting and homing in on the largest source of radio frequency emissions when connection with the operator is severed.
According to Yovchev, Terem is focusing on the development of ‘drone-dropped munitions' solutions in response to both local and external demand.
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