BAE Systems has been working with Sentinel Unmanned to deliver the Longreach70 small rotary-wing uncrewed air system (sUAS), a precision targeting platform built to deliver intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR) capabilities.
The agile (<25Kg) long-endurance, long-range sUAS is set to facilitate improved situational awareness and laser target designation to enhance the tactical effectiveness of short-range standoff precision strike.
The capability aims to address the current challenges around the critical delays associated with securing manned air support, significantly speeding up the safe deployment of precision laser-guided munitions, with greater range than small arms fire, resulting in improved survivability for ground forces.
Key Features:
- Class IV NATO (STANAG 3733) compliant Laser Target Designator
- Advanced situational awareness, STANAG 4609
- Compatible with various precision strike munitions such as APKWS and Brimstone
- Targeting and correction for indirect fires
- Operates in sustained winds of 60 km/h; gusts 110 km/h
- Static loiter capability; covert loiter capability
- Payload & C2 Agnostic
- AES256 link encryption
- ATAK & SATCOM integrated
Longreach70 also features precision landing and autonomous mission capabilities, auto-rotation with an optional parachute, a simple platform assembly requiring no specialist tools or facilities, and a removable tail boom, legs, and rotors.
ISTAR Capabilities
The Longreach70 is a long-range, high-integrity ISR asset capable of operating beyond the range of enemy jamming. It supports targeting of indirect fires, such as artillery, with live feedback for artillery correction and battle damage assessment.
The sUAS also enables the use of precision-guided munitions without relying on GPS. Operator safety is improved by eliminating the need to laser designate targets from a handheld device. Designed as an integrated, military-grade solution, it ensures survivability across contested and congested environments. Additionally, it is highly capable and can be deployed organically by the teams that need it.
DASA & Dstl Backing
Supported by the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) and Dstl, the development of the sUAS focused on an urgent operational need – to deliver capability that will significantly enhance precision laser-guided munitions in the field.
This DASA project resulted in Longreach70 being reportedly the first sub-25Kg sUAS to successfully demonstrate the accurate firing of a Class IV Laser Target Designator in the UK, undertaken in conjunction with the British Army on Salisbury Plain Training Area (SPTA).
The system subsequently demonstrated complete resilience against GNSS jamming at the Sennybridge NavWar trials in August of this year, maintaining control of both the navigation system and payload.
BAE Systems is now in the design certification stage, prior to the manufacture of systems ready for deployment in an operational environment as early as Q2 2025. This is another example of industry collaboration delivering enhanced outcomes for customers in critical domains.
