Sagem (Safran group) has successfully completed a series of flight tests of its longendurance surveillance drone, Patroller. These 14 test flights, carried out at the Istres air force base in southern France recently have passed qualification milestones.

They included 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; and 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 authorisation from French authorities to overfly densely populated zones in controlled airspace.

The Patroller drone 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-tonne class, based on an EASA-certified (European Aviation Safety Agency) aircraft. It capitalises on technologies already developed by Sagem for the Sperwer Mk.II tactical drone, and field experience in Afghanistan.