Originally Posted by
ANOpax
Why would a long range kamikaze drone be fitted with a fixed u/c? That makes no sense.
Funnily enough I was thinking the same in the early hours of yesterday.
Perhaps its because they can launch them from any road or hardened surface quite close to the front giving them more range, without the need of a specialist launch vehicle.
The launch vehicle needs time to set up, load the unit, dispatch and bug out.
These drones can be assembled in a barn wheeled out and probably only need a short takeoff run with the high aspect ratio wing.
Having a droppable undercarriage would add complexity for little gain.