Hydra S45 BAALAM

Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System (TUAS)

Mexico | 2020

"Hydra Technologies of Mexico manufactures a line of capable UAVs including the S45 BALAAM."

Image from official Hydra Technologies marketing materials.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 07/21/2022 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

Hydra Technologies is a private aerospace concern based out of Mexico with a primary focus set on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). The lineup of products currently includes the S45 "BAALAM", a tactical-level, fixed-wing drone as a modern over-battlefield solution. Its versatility is such that it can serve civilian and industry market circles as well, broadening the market appeal of the aircraft considerably.

The aircraft is given a conventional straight-winged, twin-boom form. All pertinent operational components are set in the centralized fuselage nacelle. Wings are blended to the fuselage at the roots and tail booms extend from the trailing edges of the members to terminate at vertical fins. The fins are joined at their top edges by a shared horizontal plane which notably extend out over the rudders. In the overall arrangement of the S45, a pair of engines drive two-bladed propeller units in a push-pull fashion, maximizing output power over the streamlined design. Optics are held under the aircraft in an under-fuselage "blister" turret and the tricycle undercarriage is wheeled and fixed.

The drone is capable of real-time video and data transmission to mobile and fixed terminals on the ground, making it an ideal Intelligence-Surveillance-Reconnaissance (ISR) solution. Beyond its military value, the aircraft can be used in structural engineering reviews, border / maritime enforcement, environmental assessment, Search and Rescue (SAR), and similar sortie types.

Endurance of the S45 is listed at 12 hours with an operational range out to 120 kilometers and an operational ceiling up to 17,000 feet.

The evolution of the S45 is the S50 KUKULKAN which shares the same general arrangement of the original and is also categorized as a tactical-level product. The S55 ARES is the evolution of the S50 itself and graduates to the Medium-Altitude, Long-endurance (MALE) categorization as UAVs go.

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July 2022 - An S45 drone was showcased at Farnborough 2022 with a smaller tactical UAV under its belly, implying a UAV-launching capability is available or currently being developed.

Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one aircraft design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Hydra S45 BALAAM Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System (TUAS).

2 x Engines driving a pair of two-bladed propeller units at the front and rear of the fuselage in a push-pull arrangement.
Propulsion

16,995 ft
5,180 m | 3 miles
Service Ceiling

75 miles
120 km | 65 nm
Operational Range

Structure
The nose-to-tail, wingtip-to-wingtip physical qualities of the Hydra S45 BALAAM Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System (TUAS).

0
(UNMANNED)
Crew

Armament
Available supported armament and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the Hydra S45 BAALAM Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System (TUAS) .

None. Mission equipment limited to ISR role.

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the Hydra S45 BAALAM family line.

S45 "BALAAM" - Base Series Designation; tactical-level offering.

S50 "KUKULKAN" - Evolved S45 with enhanced capabilities; tactical-level.

S55 "ARES" - Medium-Altitude, Long-Endurance (MALE) evolution of the S50 model.

Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Hydra S45 BAALAM. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national aircraft listing.

Total Production: 25 Units
Contractor(s): Hydra Technologies - Mexico

[ Mexico ]

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Image from official Hydra Technologies marketing materials.

Going Further...
The Hydra S45 BAALAM Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System (TUAS) appears in the following collections:

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