Sagem (Safran) and Défense Conseil International (DCI) have signed a collaboration agreeement on airborne surveillance systems, based on light aircraft and drones, for both France and international markets.
The manned airborne surveillance services offered by DCI will call on the Diamond DA 42 light twin-engine aircraft, equipped with Sagem’s Euroflir 350 or 410 optronic pod. According to the terms of the agreement, DCI will contribute its expertise in services, training and customer assistance.
Sagem will focus on the surveillance and intelligence drone market, based on its Patroller drone, with the operational support of DCI for contract proposals entailing system operation or maintenance for government forces or the private sector.
The DA 42 is a twin-engine, four-seat aircraft developed and produced by the Austrian company Diamond Aviation. An innovative, high-speed plane, the DA 42 offers a cruise speed exceeding 300 km/h (162 kts), with endurance of 6 to 10 hours. DCI has outfitted this plane with an optronic payload, maritime surveillance radar, data transmission system and data post-processing system.
Developed by Sagem, the Patroller is a 1-ton class drone. It features a modular design, enabling it to carry a multi-sensor payload up to 250 kg, in the fuselage or in pods (optronics, radar and electronic warfare), with endurance exceeding 20 hours and a ceiling of 20,000 ft.
Source / Author: Sagem
Photo: Sagem