AESIR has revealed its new vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) unmanned airborne vehicle (UAV) at the UK’s Defence Systems & Equipment International exhibition (DSEi 2009).

The UAV is a 1.5m-diameter craft equipped with an internal combustion engine.

The VTOL craft utilises the Coanda effect, which creates an area of low pressure below the aircraft, to generate lift.

The aircraft has been designed to operate as an intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance platform as a logistics craft or as an aerial communications rebroadcast station.

The design has no external rotating parts and can survive low-speed impact with the ground, buildings and other fixed objects.

The UAV has a large payload capacity compared to similar-sized fixed-wing craft and features sustained hover capability along perch-and-stare ability.

The system is designed to use plug-and-play payloads.