Sagem (Safran) and Egyptian manufacturer AOI-Aircraft Factory have signed an exclusive commercial and industrial collaboration agreement concerning the Patroller surveillance drone system, to address the requirements of the Egyptian Ministry of Defense (MoD). According to the terms of this agreement, AOI-Aircraft Factory could handle final assembly of Patroller drones in its Egyptian plants. The agreement also covers system support and commissioning. AOI-Aircraft Factory will develop a dedicated training center in Egypt to train staff for the operation and maintenance of Sagem’s drone systems.
Developed in France by Sagem, the Patroller is a versatile long-endurance tactical drone system. It features an open, modular design to handle a broad spectrum of military and security missions, while carrying a multi-sensor payload of up to 551 lbs/250 kg, fuselage or pod-mounted. The Patroller offers endurance of more than 20 hours, and an operating ceiling of 20,000 feet/6,096 meter. Sagem has already conducted a flight demonstration on Patroller Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) showing the simultaneous operation of different sensors: optronic (electro-optical) pod, radar, Electronic Warfare (EW) system, distress beacon detector and Automatic Identification System (AIS) receiver.
The Patroller’s design draws on ten years of experience with Sagem’s Sperwer drone system to support operations in Afghanistan.
Patroller S
Patroller S is a long endurance surveillance Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) performing a wide range of Homeland Security missions for police forces, customs, border control, civil or environmental protection, etc.
It is based on proven and mature solutions: EASA CS22 certified and robust platform, proven latest generation avionics, radio links and image chain equipment. Thanks to its open architecture and modular pods under wings, Patroller S is easily customizable according to the mission:
- Mission payloads: Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR), Surveillance And Reconnaissance (SAR), COMmunications INTelligence (COMINT), communication relay, Wide Field-Of-View (WFOV) scanners;
- Radio link: Line-Of-Sight (LOS), Beyond Line-Of-Sight (BLOS) (SATCOM as an option).
The Patroller S air vehicle can be operated either in UAV or piloted mode. For example, it can be flown to its area of operation within the general air traffic in non-segregated airspace and then it can be operated from a local site in UAV mode and carry out its missions in segregated airspace. The switching from UAV to piloted mode (and reverse) is immediate.
Homeland security applications:
- Border and coastal surveillance;
- Law enforcement, surveillance of major events;
- Protection of sensitive sites (e.g. industrial sites, areas and infrastructures of natural resource exploitation);
- Civil protection (forest fire detection, natural disaster monitoring);
- Environmental protection (pollution detection, etc.).
Facts
| PERFORMANCES | |
| Endurance | 20 hours |
| Ceiling | 20,000 feet/6,096 m |
| Standard payload | TV + IR + Laser RangeFinder (LRF) |
| LOS redundant data link | 200 km range |
| C-band broadcast link for Remote Video Terminal (RVT) | |
| ATC-integrated (transponder, VHF on-board) | |
| Redundant full triplex Flight Control System | |
| Very low noise | |
| AIR VEHICLE | |
| Maximum Take Off Weight (MTOW) | 1-tonne class |
| Maximum payload | 551 lbs/250 kg |
| Runway | <0,62 miles/1 km |
| Speed range | 70-110 knots/80.5-126.6 mph/130-204 km/h |
| Transportable in freight transport aircraft | |
| Retractable landing gear | |
| GROUND STATION | |
| Control station | 2 to 3 operators |
| Multi-platform | |
| Hand over capability | |
| Connection to the operation center through civil standard interfaces | |
| Ground data terminal: trailer | |
| RVT for intervention teams | |
| Full mission training simulator | |