(Safran group) has successfully completed a series of flight tests of its long-endurance unmanned surveillance aircraft, Patroller. These 14 test flights, carried out at the Istres air force base in southern France from September 19 to October 21, met the following objectives:
- Qualification of the aircraft’s in-flight performance, including automated landings at a steep glide slope.
- Integration of a new data link for taxiing, and a new, higher-performance imaging chain for target identification.
- Qualification of new flight control functions supporting degraded operating modes, as well as automated touchdowns in case of actuator or propulsion system failure.
The redundant avionics suite showed a significant improvement in flight safety, enabling Patroller to receive authorization from French authorities to overfly densely populated zones in controlled airspace. The Patroller was also operated over the Mediterranean Sea to test operational maritime and coastal surveillance scenarios, representing missions for homeland security and to combat illegal immigration. Sagem will be able to deliver a complete, fully operational Patroller system within 12 to 18 months.
Patroller is a medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) drone in the 1-ton class, based on an EASA-certified (European Aviation Safety Agency) aircraft. It capitalizes on technologies already developed by Sagem for the Sperwer Mk.II tactical UAS, and field experience in Afghanistan. Patroller features a modular design, allowing it to carry different pod-mounted payloads, and offers flight endurance of 20 to more than 30 hours, at a maximum altitude of 25,000 feet. Designed for a wide range of defense and homeland security long-endurance surveillance missions, it also keeps operating costs under control.
Source: Press Release