ANDY NATIVI / GENOA
Alenia/Finmeccanica Meteor subsidiary secures deal with General Atomics to assemble country's first four UAVs
The Italian Air Force is to receive its first General Atomics RQ-1A Predator unmanned air vehicle (UAV) by the fourth quarter 2002.
Italian Ministry of Defence procurement body Segredifesa and General Atomics are finalising a contract for five of the UAVs, plus an option for three more. The deal will also include a ground control station, installed in a tactical transportable shelter, datalink, simulator and initial logistic and training support. Predator was selected over Israel's Silver Arrow UAV - which is marketed in Europe by EADS as the Eagle - following the RQ-1A's successful performance during Operation Allied Force in the Balkans.
The first UAV will be delivered with full mission systems, comprising infrared sensors and television cameras, and will be used for training. Predator is set to achieve initial operational capability with the Italians by the second quarter of 2003 and full operational capability in 2005.
The Predator programme is jointly funded by the Italian armed services. The first five aircraft will cost $50 million, to include product support, while the second batch of vehicles is expected to cost around $16 million. The Italian air force will operate the Predators through a newly-created UAV squadron, to be co-located at a military airbase with a manned aircraft squadron. The Predator control centre will also be designed for installation on a ship.
Alenia/Finmeccanica's Meteor subsidiary has signed an agreement with General Atomics to assemble four of the five Predators on order, plus the three options. The Italian company will also provide maintenance, training and support services, as well as the ground control station.
The Predator programme offers a major move for the Italian air force into the UAV arena. Discussions are underway with the Italian civil aviation and air traffic control bodies to establish certification and operational requirements which will allow the UAVs to operate outside military aerospace boundaries.
While the Predators will initially be deployed for surveillance, monitoring, intelligence, reconnaissance and battle damage assessment missions, the air force is looking at more advanced sensor options, proposals for which have already been submitted by Northrop Grumman and General Atomics.
Source: Flight International
