Sagem and Stemme have successfully carried out the first series of test flights of the Patroller long-endurance UAV system. The first flight took place on June 30, 2009 at Kemijarvi in Finland. This facility provides the test site of Robonic Ltd, a Finland-based subsidiary of Sagem, specializing in manufacturing pneumatic driven catapult launchers for unmanned aerial vehicles.
It was followed by seven additional test flights, including several demonstrating long endurance flights exceeding 10 hour missions. The test campaign verified the platform’s range and performance envelope, automatic take-off, landing and automatic and remote handling of flight-control, as well as payload control functions.
Patroller was developed by the German glider producer Stemme and the French defense group Sagem Defense & Security, from the Safran Group. The Patroller, developed as a collaborative program, will be able to operate autonomously at altitudes of 25,000 ft, and at a maximum cruising speed of 300 km/h. The Pataroller is designed as a modular system, carrying different payloads, including the Euroflir 410 gyro-stabilized optronic sensor package developed by Sagem and a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) developed by the German company OHB. Other payloads destined for the Patroller include communications relays and maritime surveillance radars.
Patroller is operated from regular airstrips serving general aviation and gliders. It will be interoperable with Sagem’s Système de Drones Tactiques Intérimaire (SDTI) and Sperwer tactical unmanned systems, sharing common ground stations and much of the avionic systems on board. As it is based on civil aviation certified platforms, Patroller could be certified for operations, once unmanned platforms are allowed to operate in civil airspace, supporting territorial protection, search and rescue, border and coastal surveillance missions.
The French UAV maker Sagem has teamed with German glider producer Stemme AG to introduce the Patroller, a long endurance UAV based on a powered glider. The Stemme S 15 was first presented at the Berlin Air-Show last in 2008. In its current configuration, the Patroller is designed to perform long endurance missions, to be used in a wide spectrum of roles, from military surveillance to homeland security and maritime patrol. The unmanned Patroller will be capable of flying a 20-hour mission carrying a 440-pound payload. The aircraft carries the Euroflir electro-optical sensor payload provided by Sagem of France, and a pod mounted SAR radar provided by the German company OHB, carried underwing. Stemme is also offering an optionally piloted configuration of the drone. These aircraft are controlled through the German project LAPAZ flight control system and employ the Aerial Real Time Intelligence and Surveillance (ARTIS), both developed by Stemme.
