CAC Fox

The CAC Fox is a small UAV developed in France for use as a reconnaissance aircraft and for electronic warfare. About a thousand have been sold in a number of variants, with generally similar appearance and specifications.

The Fox-TX can carry a variety of payloads for radar or radio communications jamming; radar identification and location; communications intercept; or, when fitted with a warhead and a radar-homing seeker, anti-radar attack. The Fox-TX can also carry two small underwing stores.

Variants

• Fox-AT1 - Short range battlefield reconnaissance variant. The Fox-AT1 has a shorter wingspan of 3.6 metres (11 feet 10 inches); a deeper fuselage; and a sensor payload of 15 kilograms (33 pounds), consisting of day or night imaging systems, chemical sensors, or customer-specified payload. Unlike the Fox-TX, the Fox-AT1 has a skid to permit belly landings. It can carry four small underwing stores. Endurance is only an hour and a half. French forces have used the Fox-AT1 for tactical reconnaissance in the Balkans.
• Fox-AT2 - Long range battlefield reconnaissance variant. The Fox-AT2 looks much like the Fox-AT1, but has the wider 4-meter wingspan. It can carry a heavier sensor payload of 30 kilograms (66 pounds), but only two wings stores, and uses a long-range radio communications link.
• Fox-TS1 - Expendable target, with the short 3.6 meter wingspan. It can carry chaff, flares, radar enhancement devices, and other target gear.

Specifications (Fox-TX)

General characteristics

• Crew: None
• Capacity: 30 kg (66 lb) payload
• Length: 2.75 m (9 ft 0 in)
• Wingspan: 4.00 m (13 ft 1 in)
• Empty weight: 73 kg (161 lb)
• Gross weight: 135 kg (298 lb)
• Powerplant: 1 × Limbach L275E, 16 kW (22 hp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 180 km/h (110 mph)
• Endurance: 5 hours
• Service ceiling: 3,000 m (9,800 ft)

References

• Jane's International Defence Review

This article contains material that originally came from the web article Unmanned Aerial Vehicles by Greg Goebel, which exists in the Public Domain.