Germany’s New 'Sparta' Mothership Drone to Begin Serial Production in Ukraine
The German drone manufacturer Quantum Systems says it is working on developing a mothership drone called Sparta. As a company spokesperson told hartpunkt, the system, which is currently being developed in Ukraine, is expected to reach series production by the end of the year.
He also pointed out that the current design is a prototype, meaning that individual features – such as the landing system – could be adapted in the production configuration.
Mothership drones are unmanned systems that transport other drones that can launch in the air. This can, for example, significantly increase the range of the systems carried. The response time for attacks on ground or air targets can also be shortened, or the time spent in the area of operations can be increased, as the drones can be "pre-stationed" in the area of operations by the mothership.
According to Quantum Systems, the Sparta is configured to accommodate modular payloads – such as other drones or different sensor systems – so that the drone's intended use can also vary. It would therefore be conceivable to use the Sparta not only as a mothership drone, but also as a reconnaissance platform with a comparable long standby time for its weight class.
With a long, narrow fuselage and long wings, the Sparta's design is reminiscent of classic gliders. The drone also features a V-shaped tail (facing upwards) and an electric pusher propeller at the rear. The goal is likely to generate the highest possible lift for carrying payloads and achieve the maximum possible airtime.
This is likely one of the reasons why the vertical takeoff and landing capability, which is otherwise typical for Quantum Systems, has been omitted. Unlike the Vector, Twister, and Reliant, the Sparta is launched using a catapult. According to the company spokesperson, the drone performs a so-called deep stall landing maneuver, in which the drone flies very slowly close to the ground and performs a controlled belly landing.
The manufacturer specifies the flight performance of the mothership drone as six to eight hours. The operational radius is 200 km. The maximum takeoff weight of the system, including payload, is said to be 23 kg, with approximately 8 kg of this weight being allocated to the payload. The Sparta has a payload attachment point on each wing side.
Source: Hartpunt (translation by Google)
