The British company MGI Engineering is developing TigerShark- an autonomous, long-range offensive drone seen as a cheaper solution than cruise missiles. TigerShark is inspired by innovations from Formula One racing and other advanced engineering sectors, allowing it to serve as a quickly assembled, highly modular unmanned aircraft. Apparently, TigerShark is 5.5 meters in length, with a wingspan of 4.3 metres, and powered by two small turbojet engines. The aircraft is launched by a rocket booster from a mobile ground installation, can reach a speed of 750 kilometres per hour, can be equipped with up to 300 kilograms of modular loads, and can fly to a distance of about a thousand or more kilometres.
Aircraft include Auterion Skynode flight computer along with software. Inertial navigation and terrain-following are conceived to aid operation in areas of GPS-denied or interference. The weapon’s modular payloads bay is said to be large enough for traditional, EW or specialized warheads. Groups of TigerShark would be considered for an attack in an attempt to overwhelm and force an enemy air defence net and/or to prosecute a specific high-value target. These announced capabilities and production plans are expected to undergo additional development and client evaluation. This program is similar to the growing trend of developing rapidly produced, cheap, and software-denied deep strike weapon systems.
