Launch of the Falco EVO flight campaign, Leonardo's remotely piloted aircraft, in a specific configuration for maritime monitoring, from the Lampedusa airport under the Frontex program aimed at testing drones for the control of the external borders of the 'European Union.
Frontex, the European border guard and coastal agency, is in fact analyzing the surveillance capacity at medium altitude and long persistence offered by remotely piloted airplanes (Remotely-Piloted Air Systems - RPAS), assessing the economic efficiency and operational effectiveness of these systems. Leonardo was selected following a tender for a service contract to provide maritime surveillance through the use of drones in the Italian and Maltese civil airspace. The current agreement provides for a total of 300 flight hours with possible additional contractual extensions.
The surveillance and reconnaissance operations (Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance - ISR), carried out by Leonardo with the Falco EVO, are planned by the Guardia di Finanza under the coordination of the Ministry of the Interior. In this context, the support of ENAC, the National Agency for Civil Aviation, and of ENAV, the company that manages civil air traffic in Italy, as well as of AST Aeroservizi, the management company of Lampedusa airport, was decisive. The Falco EVO, equipped with an advanced suite of on-board sensors that also includes the Gabbiano TS Ultra Light radar for long-range day and night missions, operates with flight crew and maintenance teams for Leonardo's aircraft.
“We are proud to demonstrate the capabilities of the Falco EVO to the European agency Frontex and the Security Forces, who face the challenge of controlling and protecting maritime borders on a daily basis. Leonardo makes available to this program the long experience acquired also thanks to the activities carried out for the United Nations and many other international customers with its remotely piloted systems ”, commented Alessandro Profumo, Leonardo's CEO. "I thank all the stakeholders who contributed to this great result and I am convinced that this innovative collaboration approach will allow Frontex to define how to best exploit the capabilities offered by remotely controlled systems."
The Falco EVO operates thanks to a "Permit to Fly" issued by ENAC, which authorizes flights in the Italian and Maltese civil airspace. The innovative agreement reached with ENAC therefore guarantees compliance with national and international regulations and coordination with the relevant authorities. The activity also envisages a strong involvement of the Guardia di Finanza due to the significant experience of the Corps in defining the profiles of mission, ensuring the best operating conditions for the scheduled 300 flight hours.
The configuration of the Falco EVO used in the program includes a high definition infrared optical system, a satellite data link beyond the line of sight (Beyond-Line-Data-Of-Sight - BLOS), a new propulsion system based on a motor heavy fuel, an Automatic Identification System (AIS) and a complete communications suite.
Leonardo is the only European company capable of supplying complete RPAS and ISR capabilities, designing and developing all the elements that make up a remotely piloted system, even as part of service contracts for "unmanned" operations and among the few players in the world to be able to operate on behalf of civil entities in non-segregated trans-national air spaces.
The business model developed by Leonardo provides that the company maintains ownership and responsibility for the operations carried out with the Falco family aircraft, providing surveillance information and data collected to its customers. The managed services sector is among those on which Leonardo aims to give a strong impetus to its business. These include the provision of services based on drones to customers such as police and emergency services, in line with what is defined in the Business Plan.