BlueBird ThunderB
Country: 
IsraelManufacturer: BlueBird Aero Systems
Boom-tail tactical STUAS with 24 h continuous endurance, HD high-stability optics and runway-independent architecture: designed for brigade-level persistent ISR.
Boom-tail tactical STUAS with 24 h continuous endurance, HD high-stability optics and runway-independent architecture: designed for brigade-level persistent ISR.
Community
Data trust
- Reliability
- Unverified
- Sources
- Sources pending review
Identity
- Designation
- BlueBird ThunderB
- Alias
- ThunderB Small Tactical UAS
- Manufacturer
- BlueBird Aero Systems
- Country
- Israel
- Year
- 2011
- Category
- ISR (Reconnaissance)
- Class
- Small (< 25 kg)
- Status
- In service
Performance
- Range
- 150 km
- Endurance
- 24 h
- Top speed
- 130 km/h
- Service ceiling
- 4,900 m
- Propulsion
- Pistone a benzina, elica spintore
Physical characteristics
- MTOW
- 35 kg
- Payload
- 6 kg
Onboard systems
- Sensors
- EO/IR gimbal multi-sensore D-STAMP HD, opzionale SAR leggero
- Datalink / control
- Datalink digitale criptato LOS 150 km, opzione SATCOM
- Launch
- Catapulta pneumatica
- Recovery
- Paracadute + airbag
Tags
Main operators
History
Introduced in 2011 as a scale-up of the SpyLite, ThunderB has won several markets thanks to its 24 h endurance combined with fully runway-independent operations.
The Polish Navy has used it for maritime surveillance since 2018.
BlueBird's ThunderB extends the SpyLite concept into the light tactical category, with 24-hour endurance and a modular payload able to host EO/IR gimbals, SIGINT and small maritime radars.
The drone has been selected by several Asian navies for Exclusive Economic Zone surveillance, competing with Boeing/Insitu ScanEagle and UMS Skeldar platforms.
After IAI's acquisition of BlueBird, the ThunderB joined the group's global catalogue as a benchmark in the low-cost tactical UAS class (under 100 kg MTOW).