South African defence and security solutions provider Milkor is making significant strides with its Milkor 380 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) – the largest such aircraft to be designed and built in Africa.
The company has come a long way since its establishment in 1981, when it made a name for itself as the manufacturer of the world’s first six-shot 40 mm grenade launcher. In 2017, the company underwent significant transformation when private investors acquired it. Today, Milkor operates from multiple global offices, including locations in Centurion, Cape Town, Abu Dhabi and Riyadh, offering a diverse range of products that includes everything from UAVs to naval vessels and cyber security solutions.
One of Milkor’s most recent notable achievements is the development of the Milkor 380, a Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) aircraft. This ambitious project involved building everything in-house, from avionics and software to airframes, with the goal of creating a fully South African-developed UAV.
The Milkor 380 was developed from the earlier MA80, an 80 kg demonstrator which flew in 2017. The Milkor 380 evolved into a more capable platform with enhanced systems architecture and first flew on 19 September 2023.
Since then, the prototypes have logged numerous successful test flights, with the South African Air Force (SAAF) overseeing the operational testing and evaluation of two airframes at an airbase in the Western Cape. The UAV has undergone extensive performance assessments, demonstrating its capabilities across a wide range of operational parameters.
Milkor’s Cape Town facility, Milkor Integrated Systems, serves as the hub for the development and production of the Milkor 380. This facility integrates all subcomponents, from avionics and sensor suites to the airframe itself.
Milkor is particularly proud of its in-house composite manufacturing facility. The first prototypes were produced using the composite lay-up process, but this has changed to more advanced composite manufacturing techniques, such as vacuum infusion resin manufacturing, enabling greater precision and durability.
The Milkor 380 boasts impressive specifications, having a wingspan of 18.6 meters and a maximum take-off weight of 1 300 kilograms. The Milkor 380 boasts a maximum endurance of 35 hours (when flying at 60 knots and an altitude of 10 000 feet above mean sea level) and a range of over 2 000 kilometres, making it ideal for long-range missions such as border surveillance, maritime patrols, and even combat operations. Payload versatility allows it to carry an array of sensors or weaponry, making it a versatile platform for both military and humanitarian missions. The maximum service ceiling is 30 000 feet, though this is often limited by the operational capabilities of its onboard sensor systems.
The UAV is equipped with dual redundant Line of Sight (LOS) communications systems that can maintain contact with its control unit for up to 250 km, with seamless transition between Line of Sight and Beyond Line of Sight (BLOS) communications, such as SATCom.
Milkor has partnered with leading companies, such as Germany’s Hensoldt, to integrate sophisticated sensor suites, including the ARGOS II HDT Airborne Observation System with laser designator capabilities. These sensors are designed for precision targeting in combat operations and enhance the UAV’s intelligence-gathering and electronic warfare capabilities. The Milkor 380 can carry up to 220 kg of payload, including munitions, communication pods and electronic warfare systems.
While the Milkor 380 is primarily designed for military use, Milkor envisions dual-purpose applications, particularly in the civilian and commercial sectors. For instance, it can be deployed for maritime surveillance, wildlife conservation and humanitarian missions. The company has partnered with Aerodata AG, a German firm specialising in maritime surveillance, to explore the UAV’s potential in monitoring special economic zones and conducting routine maritime patrols. This version is known as the AeroForce 380. Additionally, the UAV’s ability to carry care packages or medical supplies underscores its versatility in humanitarian and disaster relief efforts.
This flexibility has garnered significant interest from international governments as well as the South African Air Force, which has been overseeing the drone’s operational testing.
Production capacity for the Milkor 380 is currently set at eight systems per year, with the sixth airframe currently in production. Plans are to double this to 16 systems per year by the beginning of 2026. This growth is supported by the company’s extensive engineering workforce, which consists of around 350 employees at the Cape Town branch, 80% of whom are engineers. The company is poised to expand further, with plans to hire an additional 150 employees during the next year.
One of the primary challenges facing the Milkor 380 is the lack of clear regulatory frameworks for large UAVs in South Africa. To address this, Milkor is working closely with the South African Air Force, Armscor and the Department of Defence to achieve military type certification for the UAV. Once military certification is secured, Milkor plans to transition to civilian certification, enabling broader commercial use.
With its surveillance, reconnaissance, intelligence-gathering and combat capabilities, the Milkor 380 is not just a milestone for the company but also for the African continent, being the largest UAV developed, manufactured, tested and flown in Africa.
