PAF Starts Drone Productions

[A1Kaid]

PAF starts drone production


Written by Farooq Hussain Headlines, Pakistan Aug 21, 2009




Pak Air Force has formally started the production of pilotless drone planes in collaboration with an Italian company, a news channel reported Thursday.

FALCO UAV - Pakistan According to details issued by the PAF, the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex Kamra has commenced producing the pilotless planes Falco UAV in collaboration with Selex Galileo of Italy. Aeronautical Complex chief Air Marshal Farhat Hussain said pilotless Falco UAV highly important for the country’s defence, adding the production of the planes will greatly add to the professional capabilities of PAF.

Farhat said Pakistan is now a member of the club of countries manufacturing drone planes. The system will be used mainly for aerial reconnaissance and information gathering, although the PAF will later also induct UAVs equipped with weapon systems to carry out offensive operations.

Source: PAF starts drone production | Pakistan Daily


Excellent News.

[Neo]

Falco UAV makes first flight with PicoSAR radar

By Craig Hoyle

Selex Galileo has test flown a Falco unmanned air vehicle in the UK with its PicoSAR miniature synthetic aperture radar payload, and says the combination could play a valuable role in detecting improvised explosive devices.

Flown at the company's UAV test facility at the ParcAberporth centre of excellence in west Wales, the Falco tactical air vehicle was equipped with the active electronically scanned array PicoSAR and an electro-optical/infrared sensor for the recent trials activity.

"The high-resolution SAR, coupled with change detection, make the radar particularly useful for counter-IED missions, detecting disturbances in ground surface," Selex Galileo says. Weighing just 10kg (22lb), the sensor can produce SAR imagery in both strip and spot modes from a range of up to 20km (10.8nm), and collect ground moving target indication data.

Selex Galileo has also revealed further details of a separate test campaign conducted with the Falco at the Robonic Arctic Test UAV Flight Centre in Kemijarvi, Finland from late July. The company performed handover missions with an air vehicle equipped with a more powerful datalink, and says these demonstrated the ability to perform surveillance tasks "much beyond line-of-sight".

The company also used the Finnish campaign to test an improved version of its truck-mounted high-mobility ground control station, which provides command and control services for the Falco system, plus mission planning and debriefing functions.

Pakistan is in the process of acquiring Falco systems from Selex Galileo, and the company has previously identified Libya as another possible future buyer. The UAV has a maximum take-off weight of 420kg and a mission endurance of 8-14h, depending on payload configuration.

The Falco can carry a wide range of surveillance payloads, says Selex Galileo. These can include a laser designator, maritime surveillance radar and nuclear, biological and chemical detection sensors. The air vehicle can also be equipped with chaff and flare dispensers for self-protection purposes.

With an endurance of 9-14+ h and a standard control link range of 200 km (370nm), the Falco has short take-off capability from semi-prepared airstrips, or can be launched using a pneumatic catapult. Recovery is made via either automatic landing, tactical short landing or by parachute.

[Solid Beast]

I think the Waziristan operation will largely pivot around this bird, army admits the area being an "intelligence blackhole". Falcons can pinpoint artillery and air strikes as well as special forces units for insertion. Things are Finally starting to become more network-centric.