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Leonardo has won the first two customers for its upgraded Falco Evo unmanned air vehicle, although has yet to finalise contracts with the clients.
It declines to name the purchasers, but says they are drawn from operators of the baseline Falco variant. The only disclosed customer is the United Nations, which uses the tactical UAV in support of its peacekeeping mission in the Congo, but Jordan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkmenistan reportedly also use the system.
Although reluctant to disclose further details, Leonardo says the two new clients are from the Middle East and Gulf regions.
The Evo variant increases endurance from 14h to 20h, and a 100kg (220lb) payload can accommodate a number of options including the company’s Picosar, Gabbiano 20 or Osprey radars, and its Sage electronic support measures system. Third party sensors are also available, Leonardo says.
Fabrizio Boggiani, sales and marketing chief at Leonardo Airborne and Space Systems, says although earlier Falco aircraft can be retrofitted to to the Evo standard, the two selections cover the acquisition of new-build UAVs. Over 50 Falcos have been delivered to date, it says.
Source: Flight Daily News
