Sagem, DCI Team Up On Airborne Surveillance Systems

Sagem (Safran) announced Monday that it has signed collaboration agreement with Défense Conseil International (DCI) on airborne surveillance systems, which are based on light aircraft and drones, for France as well as 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.

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. 

The Patroller's design calls on nine years of operational experience with Sagem's Sperwer drone system in Afghanistan. During tests in October and November 2014, the Patroller showed its ability to operate in civil airspace, under conditions of total air traffic safety, as part of the European program Odrea. 

Euroflir supports the day or night, long-range observation and location of targets. Euroflir systems have been operated on the helicopters deployed by the French navy, army and special forces. The Patroller drone uses the Euroflir 410 version. 

At this year's Paris Air Show, DCI is displaying the DA 42 aircraft with its Euroflir optronics pod at its outside pavilion (A4) and the Sagem Patroller drone is being displayed in section B4 of the static exhibition area.