Aerteca Spanish company specialized in aerospace and defense technology, has announced the completion of the development of the Fox I -‘Zorro I’ in Spanish-, the first micromissile designed in Spain to be launched from drones. According to Tedae – Spanish Association of Defense, Security, Aeronautics and Space Technology Companies -, this project is part of the program HARP of the General Directorate of Armament and Material (DGAM)intended to equip Remotely Piloted Air Systems (RPAs) SMALL type with precision weapons. Fox I will enter its final qualification phase in 2025 and up to 100 validation shots are planned to evaluate operational performance and its integration with the UAS platform. Tarshish-W.
Aertec has developed the Fox I in collaboration with the DGAM, within the program Coincident. The company provided the 70% of the financing of the project, while the DGAM contributed with the 30% remaining. The development included all phases of design, prototype production and surface-to-surface firing tests. During these tests, carried out in the CENAD San Gregorio in Saragossa and in the polygon The Bardenas in Navarreguided launches were carried out with the complete missile, including the warhead, demonstrating the viability of the project and its progress towards the final qualification phase.
The Tarsis-W is based on the Tarshish 75an Aertec Class I UAS (Tactical Unmanned Aerial System) designed for observation, surveillance and integration of light weapons. This fixed wing drone has a maximum takeoff weight of 75kgit can take up to 12kg of payload and achieves a maximum flight time of 12 hours. It has a wingspan of 5.2 metersa length of 3.8 meters and can operate from various types of surfaces.
It offers catapult launch options, emergency parachute recovery and a backup satellite communications system. The UAS operates autonomously throughout your flight plan, including takeoff and landing, although it maintains the capacity for manual control if necessary. It can reach altitudes of up to 5,000 meters and has a video operating range of between 70 and 150 kilometersmaking it suitable for deploying the Fox I micromissile.
The Fox I micromissile, also known as μASM A-Foxis designed for use with small RPAS and has intermediate inertial navigation and semi-active laser terminal guidance. Measure 900mm in length, weight 3kg and has a range of up to 4 kilometersbeing capable of attacking soft targets, targets of opportunity and counter-drone systems (C-UAS). Aertec’s Fox I is based on a high-performance laser seeker and guidance kit developed by the company for precise guidance. These micromissiles enable tactical strikes on lightly armored targets with precision, minimizing collateral effects.
The missile’s warhead and engine have been developed in collaboration with the Spanish defense manufacturer Install. The warhead is based on the ammunition C90 of this company and has a custom designed wishbone. The engine is designed to fit the compact scale of the missile while maintaining stability in flight.
Additionally, the modular design of the Fox I micromissile allows its integration into various aerial platforms with minimal software modifications. Optimized for Class I UAS such as the Tarsis 75, the missile’s size and flexibility make it suitable for a variety of light aerial platforms requiring precision strike capabilities.