Tactical Robotics Cormorant

Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) [ 2020 ]

The Cormorant by Tactical Robotics has been demonstrated through the casualty evacuation role to Israeli army authorities.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 06/22/2022 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

Image from Tactical Robotics Ltd official marketing material.

GO TO SPECIFICATIONS [+]

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Tactical Robotics of Israel is developing its impressive "Cormorant" Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) for various markets including military. A first flight in prototype form was recorded during January of 2009 and the product remains in development as of this writing (2018). Design of the air vehicle is attributed to Rafi Yoeli. Two flyable prototypes have been constructed and the aircraft is under serious review by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for possible use by the service in urban battlefield settings. Service introduction may come as soon as 2019 or 2020 depending on the outcome of the evaluations. The design may also fulfill a NATO requirement for MEDEVAC / CASEVAC in the near-future and there may be some interest on the part of the United States Army.

In a previous life, the Cormorant was known by the names of "AirMule" or simply "Mule". The IDF knows it as the "Pereira", translating to "Dragonfly".

The Cormorant's inherent capabilities (and relatively compact dimensions) allow for it to be piloted over various landscapes including mountainous and urban environments - including far-off, isolated settings typically cut-off from fixed-wing and some helicopter types. Pound-for-pound, the UAV is also billed as a more cost-effective solution than complex, fuel-thirsty helicopters. Like a helicopter, the Cormorant can operate in hover mode, in day or low-light settings, and withstand gusts of up to 40 knots.

The Cormorant is being developed to tackle the ongoing requirements of various industries including engineering (structural review), agriculture (chemical dispersal), Search And Rescue (SAR), fire-fighting, and oil & gas and can also fulfill the roles associated with humanitarian support and disaster relief. The UAV approach also eliminates loss of life as the human pilot is taken out of the vehicle equation (a remote pilot is used instead).

Internally, the system is powered by a patented fan-based lifting arrangement by Fancraft to offer unparalleled precision in the air, allowing the aircraft to safely navigate between buildings or in ravines. This is made largely possible by a four-channel, redundant Fly-By-Wire (FBW) system. Power is from a single Turbomeca (France) "Arriel' 2N turboshaft engine - the same as fitted to modern military and civilian helicopters - that outputs 985 horsepower. This provides the needed lift for the Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) mode. Two lift fans are in play, one positioned at the front and the other at the rear of the airframe. For propulsion, smaller fans are positioned outboard of the aft fuselage area. Despite the multiple lift fans, noise levels are negligible for an air vehicle of this size.

Empty weight is listed at 2,020lb and the vehicle's MTOW reaches 3,700lb. Max speed over terrain is 100 knots depending on the payload in question with an endurance window of about 2.5 hours.

In the event of a complete system malfunction, the air vehicle can deploy an optionally-fitted parachute to retard its fall and minimize damage upon impact. The undercarriage is a basic, wheeled four-point arrangement that remains fixed during flight.

The cargo hold can carry up to two patient litters or 500 kilograms worth of cargo including water, food and medical supplies. Optionally, cargo or special mission packs can be fitted externally to further enhance the tactical value of the air system.©MilitaryFactory.com

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Specifications

Service Year

2020

Origin

Israel

Status

IN-DEVELOPMENT
Program in Progress.

Crew

0
UNMANNED

Production

2
UNITS

Tactical Robotics Ltd - Israel

(View other Aviaton-Related Manufacturers)

Israel (possible)

(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)

✓ Close-Air Support (CAS)
Developed to operate in close proximity to active ground elements by way of a broad array of air-to-ground ordnance and munitions options.

✓ Special-Mission: MEDical EVACuation (MEDEVAC)
Extraction of wounded combat or civilian elements by way of specialized onboard equipment and available internal volume or external carrying capability.

✓ Special-Mission: Search & Rescue (SAR)
Ability to locate and extract personnel from areas of potential harm or peril (i.e. downed airmen in the sea).

✓ Intelligence-Surveillance-Reconnaissance (ISR), Scout
Surveil ground targets / target areas to assess environmental threat levels, enemy strength, or enemy movement.

✓ X-Plane (Developmental, Prototype, Technology Demonstrator)
Aircraft developed for the role of prototyping, technology demonstration, or research / data collection.

✓ Special Forces
Serving Special Forces / Special Operations elements and missions.

✓ Unmanned Capability
Aircraft inherently designed (or later developed) with an unmanned capability to cover a variety of over-battlefield roles.

Length

20.3 ft
(6.20 m)

Width/Span

11.5 ft
(3.50 m)

Height

7.5 ft
(2.30 m)

Empty Wgt

2,028 lb
(920 kg)

MTOW

3,748 lb
(1,700 kg)

Wgt Diff

+1,720 lb
(+780 kg)

(Showcased structural values pertain to the base Tactical Robotics Cormorant production variant)

Installed: 1 x Turbomeca Arriel 2N turboshaft engine developing 950 horsepower driving 2 x Lift fans and 2 x Pusher fans.

Max Speed

112 mph
(180 kph | 97 kts)

Range

466 mi
(750 km | 1,389 nm)

♦ MACH Regime (Sonic)

Sub

Trans

Super

Hyper

HiHyper

ReEntry

♦

(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the base Tactical Robotics Cormorant production variant. Performance specifications showcased above are subject to environmental factors as well as aircraft configuration. Estimates are made when Real Data not available. Compare this aircraft entry against any other in our database or View aircraft by powerplant type)

None.

Supported Types

(Not all ordnance types may be represented in the showcase above)

Cormorant - Base Series Name

General Assessment

Firepower

Performance

Survivability

Versatility

Impact

Values are derrived from a variety of categories related to the design, overall function, and historical influence of this aircraft in aviation history.

Overall Rating

The overall rating takes into account over 60 individual factors related to this aircraft entry.

26

Rating is out of a possible 100 points.

Relative Maximum Speed

Hi: 120mph

Lo: 60mph

This entry's maximum listed speed (112mph).

Graph average of 90 miles-per-hour.

City-to-City Ranges

NYC

LON

PAR

BER

MOS

TOK

SYD

LAX

NYC

Tactical Robotics Cormorant operational range when compared to distances between major cities (in KM).

Aviation Era Span

Showcasing era cross-over of this aircraft design.

Unit Production (2)

2

36183

44000

Compared against Ilyushin IL-2 (military) and Cessna 172 (civilian).

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Image of the Tactical Robotics Cormorant

Image from Tactical Robotics Ltd official marketing material.