The various wars of the early 2000s presented warplanners with a need for more-capable Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and this ultimately led to considerable growth of a what was really already a veteran industry (unmanned systems were used in warfare as early as 1849 in Austria). As a result, there emerged a plethora of global players hoping to make their presence felt in the realm of unmanned aircraft systems, drones and autonomous flight.
The French-originated SAGEM "Patroller" is a part of this UAV explosion, born from the two-seat Stemme ASP 515 powered glider. The Patroller removes the need for physical human pilots but retains all of the form and function of the glider resulting in a very useful, logistically-friendly unmanned system for both civil and military markets. The system is approved for such mission types as Intelligence-Surveillance-Reconnaissance (ISR), artillery spotting, peacekeeping/humanitarian aid and border protection. The mission payload exceeds 250 kilograms.
The Patroller is detailed as a tactical-level UAV and features a scalable architecture to better integrate with existing air command systems. A "see and avoid" module allow it to function in civilian airspace. The aircraft has been developed with inherent low-noise qualities as well as a reduced radar and heat signature to better operate in battle zones. Autonomous flight is possible and both landing and take-off actions can be handled automatically (as well as taxiing). As such, the aircraft can use traditional prepared runways.
Externally, the aircraft sports a tear-drop-like shape for its fuselage in which the forward section is noticeably bulbous. It houses the powerplant which includes a three-bladed propeller unit at the nose. The optics fit sits under the belly with a complete 360-degree view of the action under the aircraft. A tricycle undercarriage is featured. The wing mainplanes are straight and high-mounted along the fuselage sides, each underwing point able to carry a pod. The empennage begins at the rear of the fuselage and runs to the single tail fin which mounts the horizontal stabilizer.
Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. It is the product of many hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, veterans, insiders, and topic specialists. If you happen upon this text anywhere else on the internet or in print, please let us know at MilitaryFactory AT gmail DOT com so that we may take appropriate action against the offender / offending site and continue to protect this original work.
The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content; site is 100% curated by humans.
