Article Posted on : - Feb 23, 2011

ABU DHABI (BNS): The French Army will procure more Sperwer tactical drones from Sagem which will also upgrade the pilotless aircraft by equipping them with new optronic observation systems.

The French defence procurement agency DGA has awarded a contract to Sagem for the modernisation and expansion of the French Army’s fleet of Sperwer unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and associated equipment during the International Defence Exhibition (IDEX) at Abu Dhabi.

Under the contract, three Sperwer drones will be equipped with Sagem’s new Euroflir 350+ optronic observation system, the company said.

The contract also includes an option for five more Sperwers for the French Army.

Sagem will also deliver new Remote Video Terminals (RVTs) and modernise the existing RVTs which provide high-resolution, real-time display of geo-referenced images sent by the drone, against a digital map background.

The latest contract will bring the total number of Sperwer drones produced by Sagem’s Montluçon plant in France to 130, the company said.