Post by phelan on May 30, 2016 2:08:27 GMT
I was always interested in these two, but they went dark pretty quickly. I know that Top Cover flew, in Australia, but very little was released on either system.
Top Cover was designed as an ISR platform with potential strike options. It wouldn't have been able to carry much in terms of weapons, but could mount several different sensor types, with a 24 hour loiter at 5,000 feet. It was to be capable of carrying a SIGINT package, GMTI radar, acoustic sensors, or IR/EO cameras.
Minion was to be another air launched hybrid missile/UCAV. It could carry either sensors, or 4 SDBs. It could also carry radar reflectors to act as a decoy as well. It would have a 1,000 nm range. It was rumored that Minion was used in Iraq during the invasion in 2003.
Top Cover was designed as an ISR platform with potential strike options. It wouldn't have been able to carry much in terms of weapons, but could mount several different sensor types, with a 24 hour loiter at 5,000 feet. It was to be capable of carrying a SIGINT package, GMTI radar, acoustic sensors, or IR/EO cameras.
Minion was to be another air launched hybrid missile/UCAV. It could carry either sensors, or 4 SDBs. It could also carry radar reflectors to act as a decoy as well. It would have a 1,000 nm range. It was rumored that Minion was used in Iraq during the invasion in 2003.
