Ukrainian broadcaster 24tv, citing the portal TWZ, reports that Diehl Defence has presented the Cobra 600 to the public for the first time. The drone combines a flight platform with a missile pylon for a single IRIS-T guided missile. The concept is described as a “rocket taxi”: the drone transports the missile over long distances while remaining connected to a ground-based air defense system such as IRIS-T SLM or IRIS-T SLS.
The Cobra 600 has already completed initial flight tests with a dummy IRIS-T missile. According to Diehl Defence, at least one interested state provided financial support for the development. The platform itself is manufactured by the German aerospace startup Polaris Raumflugzeuge. The drone’s shape closely resembles the Shahed-136 – a flying-wing design with vertical stabilizers at the wingtips.
Observers suspect that experience from the war in Ukraine has influenced the development. The concept is reminiscent of Russian attempts to equip Shahed-like drones with short-range air defense missiles. The Cobra 600 uses a standard pylon as the physical interface between drone and missile, the same type used on the Eurofighter combat jet.
Source: 24tv.ua
