Cheaston UAV

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Cheaston taxiing, 2022.

The Cheaston BA-UA8 (Istroyan: Xyston) is an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle produced by Baen Avionics for the Fhainnin Army and other buyers. It is a development of the BA-UA5 Logg UAV and was first commissioned in 2014, and operates as a high-altitude, medium-range, land-based ASM and ASHM cruise missile platform. The Cheaston is built to rapidly enter a battlespace to enhance naval strike capacity alongside manned air and naval missile packages, as well as provide an unmanned system for high-risk ground strike operations such as dedicated SEAD/DEAD missions against high-competency air defense targets. The Fhainnin Army operates several flights of the system, with production of parts and new systems planned until 2040.

During its unveiling, Aenglish news sources misreported that the drone was named for the city of Cheston, Anglei, which caused confusion about the pronunciation of the UAV's name for several months. In 2017, Puertego purchased four systems and twenty-five years support for them as part of a larger trade arrangement with the Fhainnin government, allowing the Puertegan military to add a critical supplement to its naval strike capabilities. The larger Robobamor is a heavy, long-range development of the Cheaston itself.