First Slovenian UAV found its way into a museum

The Park of Military History recently received an important donation – the company C-Astral has donated a Belin unmanned aerial vehicle to the Park. The UAV was handed over to the museum by the company’s director, Goran Gačnik.

The Belin unmanned aerial vehicle, a product of C-Astral from Ajdovščina, was selected through an international tender by the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Slovenia and was introduced into operational use by the Slovenian Armed Forces in 2015. The Belin UAVs are intended to support military units, primarily the motorised battalion battle group, by providing reconnaissance data. The Belin UAV is designed for reconnaissance, observation, and aerial surveillance missions. It allows for the acquisition of visual data using an integrated video camera or a photo camera, and this data provides intelligence support to commanders at the tactical level.

With this capability, the Slovenian Armed Forces gained an extremely reliable system for monitoring hazardous areas, as well as equipment that can assist Civil Protection in the event of natural disasters.

C-Astral is a provider of aviation solutions based in Ajdovščina, which from its founding in 2007 develops advanced UAV systems. The company is a leading player in the global market, with an established reputation in the production of small UAV`s with fixed wings.

One of C-Astral’s key achievements is the development of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with the distinctive “blended wing body” (BWB) design. This refers to a merged wing configuration, which lacks the traditional fuselage structure of an aircraft, instead resembling a flying wing with only two control surfaces. This unique design offers enhanced aerodynamic efficiency and endurance, which earned the team the prestigious Red Dot – Best of the Best award this year, often referred to as the “Oscar” of design.

C-Astral’s UAVs operate on all continents, including in some of the most demanding and extreme conditions, such as high altitudes, deserts, mountain ranges, as well as in the Arctic and Antarctic. This level of adaptability and robustness demonstrates the exceptional quality and performance of their UAVs, which are used across a wide range of applications, not only in military contexts but also for surveying, mapping, and environmental monitoring.

The Park of Military History expressed great satisfaction for acquiring such an important museum exhibit. This is a pioneering product of the Slovenian defence industry, the result of a high level of expertise and the innovation of the C-Astral team, which has been and continues to be a step ahead of the competition both in Slovenia and globally. The Park has committed to displaying the aircraft to its visitors as soon as possible, as it represents a significant piece in the mosaic of Slovenian national military history.

BELIN – Basic Information

• Engine: Electric motor
• Maximum speed: 30 m/s
• Range: 40 km
• Flight altitude: 5,000 m
• Length: 960 mm
• Wingspan: 2,300 mm
• Crew: /
• Maximum allowed weight: 4.5 kg
• Payload: day/IR video camera