The Patroller is a French

medium-altitude long-endurance A medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle flies at an altitude window of 10,000 to 30,000 feet (3,000–9,000 m) for extended durations of time, typically 24 to 48 hours.https://www.leonardocompany.com/en/products/falco-xplorer Thi ...

unmanned aerial vehicle An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or unmanned aircraft system (UAS), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft with no human pilot, crew, or passengers onboard, but rather is controlled remotely or is autonomous.De Gruyter Handbook of Dron ...

developed and manufactured by

Safran Electronics & Defense Safran Electronics & Defense, formerly known as Sagem Défense Sécurité, is a French company specializing in optronics, avionics and electronic systems, as well as software for civil and military applications in the naval, aeronautical and spa ...

(formerly by

SAGEM SAGEM (, translated as "Company of General Applications of Electricity and Mechanics") was a French company involved in defense electronics, consumer electronics, and communication systems. Founded in 1924, SAGEM initially specialised in mechani ...

). The airframe is based on the Stemme ASP S15

motor glider A motor glider is a fixed-wing aircraft that can be flown with or without engine power. The FAI Gliding Commission Sporting Code definition is: a fixed-wing aerodyne equipped with a means of propulsion (MoP), capable of sustained soaring flig ...

. The first flight was in June 2009 at Kemijarvi in Finland; it was shown at the 2009 Paris Air Show. The Patroller is a

Medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle A medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle flies at an altitude window of 10,000 to 30,000 feet (3,000–9,000 m) for extended durations of time, typically 24 to 48 hours.https://www.leonardocompany.com/en/products/falco-xplorer Th ...

(MALE) by the definition of the

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...

. It completed another series of flight tests in July 2010, which demonstrated it is capable of missions lasting 20–30 hours; it can carry a 250 kg payload (including 80 kg under each wing). The Patroller will carry out imaging and surveillance trials in southern France, detecting forest fires. The Patroller uses the same ground control station as Sperwer II. A

Ku-band The Ku band () is the portion of the electromagnetic spectrum in the microwave range of frequencies from 12 to 18 gigahertz (GHz). The symbol is short for "K-under" (originally ), because it is the lower part of the original NATO K band ...

datalink is used; range is limited to 200 km (line of sight).

and Egyptian aircraft factory AOI have signed a collaboration agreement concerning the Patroller UAV. AOI-Aircraft Factory could handle final assembly of the drones and will develop a dedicated training center in Egypt to train staff for the operation and maintenance of the drone systems. The cost of the first 14 Patrollers for the French Army in 2016, including 12 years maintenance, was €300 million.

Operators

; :

French Army The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (, , ), is the principal Army, land warfare force of France, and the largest component of the French Armed Forces; it is responsible to the Government of France, alongside the French Navy, Fren ...

: 5 systems (28 drones) planned and to be delivered by 2030; first system (5 drones) to be delivered in summer 2023. Initial pre-production example was handed over to the French Army’s 61st Artillery Regiment in May 2023 for evaluation and familiarisation. ; :

Hellenic Army The Hellenic Army (, sometimes abbreviated as ΕΣ), formed in 1828, is the army, land force of Greece. The term Names of the Greeks, '' Hellenic'' is the endogenous synonym for ''Greek''. The Hellenic Army is the largest of the three branches ...

: First export customer; 4 drones and 3 ground stations ordered in June 2023 to compement or replace the SAGEM Sperwer.

Operators

Specifications

References

See also