MIKE MARTIN
The EADS Eagle Male (medium altitude and long endurance) observation unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has successfully completed a six-flight test programme with the Swedish armed forces and space agency, it was announced at the show yesterday.
Operating from Kiruna base close to the Arctic Circle, Eagle Male flew within civilian space, detected land targets and was used for scientific research.
"Unmanned air vehicles for strategic surveillance and reconnaissance are of growing importance for military missions and crisis prevention," Stefan Zoller, president and chief executive of EADS Systems and Defence Electronics said yesterday.
"Therefore the success of Eagle confirms our leading position in a key growth area of the defence and security market."
The aim of the flight programme was to test the UAV's various systems, including its Swedish-built identification system.
After take-off from Kiruna, Eagle had to follow a reserved airway before manoeuvring at various heights in the vicinity of Vidsel and Esrange. Identification of land targets was via its TV/infrared sensors.
Source: Flight Daily News
