Selex ES Falco

Falco UAV
Falco UAV from Selex ES
Role Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
National origin Italy
Manufacturer Selex ES
Designer Galileo Avionica
First flight December 2003 [1]
Introduction 2009 [2]
Primary user Pakistan Air Force
Number built ~50 production aircraft [3]


The Falco (English: hawk) is a tactical unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) designed and produced by Selex ES (originally by Galileo Avionica) of Italy. The UAV is designed to be a medium-altitude, medium-endurance surveillance platform [1] capable of carrying a range of payloads, including several types of high resolution sensors. A larger variant, the Falco EVO,[4] is capable of carrying larger payloads is also available. Neither system is designed to carry weapons, The launch customer, Pakistan, reportedly wanted the Falco armed, a request that Italy rejected.[5]

Development

Design

The Falco UAV System comprises:[14]

The Falco UAV is 17 feet (5.2 m) long, 6 feet (1.8 m) high, has a 24-foot (7.3 m) wingspan and a top speed of 134 mph (216 km/h). A maximum altitude of around 16,400 feet (5,000 m) and endurance of up to 14 hours can be attained.[15][16] As well as providing the Falco air vehicle, Selex ES offers a range of sensors, including EOST 46 electro-optical/infrared turret, Gabbiano 20 multi-mode surveillance radar and the PicoSAR radar. The latter is a compact, active "e-scan" radar providing synthetic aperture radar imagery and ground moving target indication. When used in conjunction with change detection software, the PicoSAR can be a powerful counter-IED tool. The Falco can also carry the SAGE electronic warfare suite for accurate direction-finding, classification and geo-location of emitters.[17]

The Falco EVO System has a payload capacity of up to 100 kg and an extended endurance of up to 18 hours.[10]

Operators

World operators of the Falco and Falco Evo

Falco is the only tactical UAS entirely developed in Europe to have been exported and used in operations.[18] Elbit of Israel has also ordered the Selex ES Gabbiano radar for the Hermes 450 and 900 UAVs, for long-range surveillance cover over land or sea, with applications including synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and inverse SAR imagery modes.[19] Selex ES has not commented on operators but the Falco has been reported as being acquired by the following countries:

 Libya
 Jordan
 Pakistan
 Saudi Arabia
 Turkmenistan 3 Falco XN in 2011 for €8,7 million [24][25]
 United Nations

Operational history

It has been deployed by Pakistan's military, after the purchase of 24 planes, to the Swat Valley, and a partnership is planned between Selex Galileo partner and the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex, a state-owned defense manufacturer, to produce the Falco in Pakistan.[15] The Falco does not carry armaments and has no strike capability. The U.S has refused to sell Pakistan its more advanced UAVs over concerns about "sensitive data".[15] The word Falco means hawk in Italian.

Specifications (Falco)

Data from AirForce-Technology.com

General characteristics

Performance

Armament

Avionics

See also

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to SELEX Galileo Falco.

References

  1. 1 2 3 http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2004/11/02/189533/falco-prepared-for-system-tests.html
  2. http://www.janes.com/news/defence/air/jdw/jdw081125_1_n.shtml
  3. 1 2 3 http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2009/03/05/323367/selex-galileo-targets-uk-falco-uav-flights-deal-with.html
  4. http://www.selex-es.com/-/falco-evo
  5. http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_generic.jsp?channel=aerospacedaily&id=news/asd/2011/03/01/01.xml&headline=Pakistan%20Air%20Chief%20Outlines%20Procurement%20Plans Archived 20 October 2011 at the Wayback Machine.
  6. http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2007/01/29/211769/first-galileo-avionica-falco-uav-set-for-delivery-launch-customer-remains.html
  7. http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2009/08/10/330813/auvsi-selex-galileo-proves-falcos-rail-launch-performance.html
  8. "Complex at Kamra to manufacture drones". Dawn. 21 August 2009. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
  9. http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2009/09/08/331961/dsei-falco-uav-makes-first-flight-with-picosar-radar.html
  10. 1 2 http://www.selexgalileo.com/EN/Common/files/SELEX_Galileo/Press_Releases/Q3_2012/SELEXGalileo_FalcoEVOmaidenflight_gpl.pdf
  11. http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/pictures-falco-evo-uav-makes-flight-debut-374667/
  12. Michelle Nichols (1 August 2013). "Italian firm to provide surveillance drone for U.N. in Congo". Reuters.
  13. http://archive.defensenews.com/article/20130910/DEFREG01/309100024/Selex-ES-Sells-Falco-UAV-Middle-Eastern-Country
  14. 1 2 http://www.selex-sas.com/EN/Common/files/SELEX_Galileo/Products/FALCO.pdf
  15. 1 2 3 Alex Rodriguez [Pakistan pursues its own drones] 9 October 2009 LA Times
  16. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems and Selex Galileo
  17. 1 2 http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/farnborough-air-show/2012-07-13/falco-gains-mystery-customer-evo-prepped-flight
  18. http://www.army-technology.com/contractors/surveillance/selex-galileo/
  19. http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/elbit-orders-gabbiano-radars-for-hermes-uavs-358965/
  20. http://www.defenceweb.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2943&Itemid=106
  21. http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/selex-galileo-targets-uk-falco-uav-flights-deal-with-libya-323367/
  22. http://www.army-technology.com/news/news70843.html
  23. http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/first-galileo-avionica-falco-uav-set-for-delivery-launch-customer-remains-211769/
  24. http://www.rainews.it/dl/rainews/articoli/L-export-armato-italiano-ai-regimi-dell-ex-URSS-Intervista-a-Giorgio-Beretta-b0a850b2-32fd-457e-b715-9f43da2b047e.html?refresh_ce
  25. http://www.unimondo.org/Notizie/Italia-ecco-le-armi-esportate-da-Berlusconi-a-dittatori-e-regimi-autoritari-135097
  26. http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=46650&Cr=democratic&Cr1=congo#.UqVWR_RDvE1
  27. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6uag2TSdoU
  28. http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/author/amcduffee/
  29. http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2013/12/un-drones/
  30. http://www.jpic-jp.org/pt/pl_pub/pl_pub.php?na=130&idm=en
  31. "Pakistan turns to drones of its own," L.A. Times, URL: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-pakistan-drones9-2009oct09,0,1637489.story Retrieved 4 November 2009
  32. "Pakistani drone crashes near Sargodha". thenewstribe. 10 August 2014. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
  33. "Pakistan drone aircraft crash lands". Zee News. 10 August 2014. Retrieved 10 August 2014.
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