The Falco Xplorer Remotely Piloted Air System (RPAS) being developed by Leonardo, is already attracting strong market interest, in an encouraging sign for the new platform. First unveiled at last year’s Paris Air Show, the Falco Xplorer is the largest drone built by Leonardo with a Maximum Take-Off Weight (MTOW) of 1.3 tons and an operating ceiling above 24,000ft.
It is being designed to offer persistent, multi-sensor strategic sur- veillance to military and civil customers and will be made available either as an integrated system or as a fully-managed information-superiority service, flown and operated by the company. The new drone is being promoted as an afford- able and potent option for Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR). Since the Falco Xplorer is not subject to International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) restrictions and meeting the criteria for Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) class II, it will be readily exportable.
“We have already been speaking to a range of potential new customers about the Xplorer. We have received some requests for quotation and had some productive discussions with further potential new customers following the launch of the system at Paris Air Show last year and again in November when the plat- form was exhibited at Dubai Air Show, where we saw a great deal of interest,” says Q Fabrizio Boggiani, SVP Airborne Systems – Electronics Italy at Leonardo. The Falco Xplorer is also being proposed for military and non-military arms of the Italian government.
“There will be further flight campaigns over the next few months which will assess the aircraft’s full range of capabilities including its integrated sensor system. These campaigns will also certify the Falco Xplorer against NATO’s airworthiness STANAG 4671, dramatically expanding the territory over which it can operate,” Boggiani adds.
The new drone aircraft made its first flight in January, when Falco Xplorer S/N0001 took off from Trapani Air Force base. “We are pleased to report that the Falco Xplorer behaved even better than predicted during the first flight. The flight was also the first good opportunity to collect data which we can now re-introduce to our modelling to improve the simulations, all of which contributes to our continuing to develop the Xplorer in a cost-effective manner,” says Boggiani. Leonardo also intends to certify Falco Xplorer for use in non-segregated airspace.
The Falco Xplorer combines endurance of over 24h with a max payload of 350kg and also feature an integrated sensor system, which will include the Gabbiano T-80 multi-mode surveillance radar, SAGE electronic intelligence system, an Automatic Identification System (AIS) for maritime missions and an Electro-Optical (EO) turret. An optional hyperspectral sensor will allow the drone to monitor pollution and agricultural development and native satellite link capability allows for beyond-line-of-sight operations. An open system architecture means that third- party sensors can be easily integrated.
The US Army deployed its Mid-Range Capability (MRC) missile system to Northern Luzon, Philippines for the first time. This deployment…
Lockheed Martin has been chosen by the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) to develop the Next Generation Interceptor (NGI), the…
Milrem Robotics has secured a contract to deliver an undisclosed quantity of THeMIS UGVs (Unmanned Ground Vehicles) to the Japanese…
CMA CGM Air Cargo is set to expand its service by launching a transpacific route connecting Asia to North America…
Eve Air Mobility (Eve) has designated Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd. (KAI) as the supplier for the pylons of its electric…
Emirates SkyCargo, the cargo arm of one of the two flag carriers of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has established…
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has secured a contract to supply a Multi-Sensor Multi-Mission Radar (MS-MMR) system for the air defence…
The first Embraer E190F, a jet converted from passenger transport to freighter (E-Freighter), successfully concluded its inaugural flight in São…
The Government of Greece officially announced its plans to purchase 35 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters from Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin…
Cathay Cargo resumed its Ho Chi Minh City freighter service on April 4, 2024, after a four-year hiatus due to…
Skykraft has secured approval from the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) for its spectrum filing for a constellation of 2976 satellites.…
The U.S. Navy, in partnership with Lockheed Martin, has successfully conducted a historic Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) flight test with…
The U.S. Air Force has awarded Boeing a contract worth up to $559 million over five years to operate, maintain…
Israel Weapon Industries (IWI) introduced the ARBEL, hailed as the world’s first computerized small arms system, on Thursday (Apr. 4).…
Hong Kong’s Government Flying Service (GFS) has integrated the H175 helicopter flight simulator developed by Indra into their training regimen.…
After a hiatus of over 30 years, Air Canada is set to return to Singapore's Changi International Airport with the…
FLY91, India's youngest regional airline, announced a partnership with IBS Software on Wednesday (Apr. 3). Aiming to enhance its commercial…
Malaysia Airlines announced its partnership with RECARO Aircraft Seating to equip its upcoming Airbus A330neo aircraft with the CL3810 economy…
Rolls-Royce announced that the company has begun flight testing its latest aero engine the Pearl 10X on its dedicated Boeing…
Avolon, a global aviation finance company, has agreed to sell and lease back four new Airbus A330neo aircraft with Cebu…
Malaysia Airlines and India’s largest airline, IndiGo, announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a codeshare partnership…
The Indonesian flag carrier airline, Garuda Indonesia, unveiled plans to expand its aircraft fleet with the procurement of eight new…
Belgian Defence has placed an order for six R7 Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) from Exail. These unmanned underwater vehicles are…
Greenerwave, a deeptech start-up specialising in the control of electromagnetic waves, launched its first SATCOM user terminal after securing EUR15…
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and Aerotor Unmanned Systems have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), outlining their collaboration in…
GE Aerospace officially launched as an independent public company on Tuesday (Apr. 2), marking an important milestone in the aviation…
Dassault Aviation has inaugurated a new ExecuJet Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facility in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, aimed at enhancing…
France’s Naval Group and Indonesian state-owned shipyard PT PAL signed a contract with the Indonesian Ministry of Defence in Jakarta…
Korean Air finalized a firm order for 33 aircraft, including 27 A350-1000s and six A350-900s on Tuesday (Apr. 2). The…
The Royal Thai Navy (RTN) faces a setback as its new frigate program gets postponed due to a substantial cut…
Headquartered in Singapore with reporters spread across all major regions, GBP Aerospace & Defence is a leading media house that publishes three publications that serve the aerospace and defence sector - Asian Defence Technology, Asian Airlines & Aerospace and Daily News. Known industry-wide for quality journalism, GBP Aerospace & Defence is present at more international tradeshows and exhibitions than any other competing publication in the region.
For over three decades, our award-winning team of reporters has been producing top-notch content to help readers stay abreast of the latest developements in the field of commercial aviation, MRO, defence, and Space.
Copyright 2024. GBP. All Rights Reserved.
Home Defence & Security Space Commercial Aviation Maintence Repair & Overhaul Daily News Events About Us
2024 GBP all rights reserved.