Robotican's Rooster hybrid UAS used by US' DEA, Israel's IDF, and in training with Spanish Armed Forces

The Robotican hybrid Rooster UAS with integrated protective cage in fly mode. (Robotican)

Israeli company Robotican's Rooster hybrid unmanned aircraft system (UAS), capable of flying and rolling on the ground, has been used by the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), a Robotican representative told Janes on 9 July.

The UAS has also been used in training with the Spanish Armed Forces, the representative said. Dozens of the Rooster UASs have been delivered to an unnamed European special operations force and the country's infantry units, according to the company's 8 July press release.

The Rooster UAS is surrounded by a protective cage, which allows it to roll as well as fly. It is intended for operations underground as well as above ground and in the air. The system has a day/night IR (infrared) sensitivity camera and visible/IR illuminators. Its 300 g payload option can be used for swappable sensors including a thermal imager and an oxygen or radiation detector.

Each Rooster unit includes three UASs and a ground control station (GCS). During a subterranean operation a mesh network can be established by deploying the first Rooster UAS, which is intended to extend until its network strength is degraded by range or obstacles. At that point a second Rooster overtakes the first to go farther down the path. Then a third Rooster is launched and overtakes the second. All of this is performed autonomously with the operator able to monitor the UASs via their individual feeds on the GCS. An artificial intelligence (AI) system is used for object detection.

The 1.6 kg Rooster's batteries can power 30 minutes of ground rolling, 12–15 minutes of hovering, or four hours on static standby.