Sagem was named Chairman of a “civil drone” road map initiative in June 2014, under the auspices of the French Ministry of the Economy, within the scope of a program involving 34 “New France Industry” projects. The project led by Sagem aims to structure and develop the national industry for civilian drones, by calling on several agencies of public policy: economy ministry, transport ministry (civil aviation agency DGAC), competitiveness clusters (Pégase, Aerospace Valley), and the public investment bank. This policy will support a broad network of innovative small and medium sized enterprises in this booming sector, with support from the French civilian drones trade association, FDPC.
Sagem will bring to the table its long experience as a manufacturer of drone systems, along with its leading position in the civil aviation sector, including the production of safety-critical guidance and flight control systems, plus special-mission equipment. It has also worked for many years on the integration of drones in civil airspace, and certification and regulatory issues. The overall aim is to allow higher-performance, more autonomous drones to meet emerging requirements in agriculture, network monitoring, environmental protection, etc. while also satisfying safety needs.
Sagem is a prime contractor for military UAV systems. At UAV Show Europe, it will be displaying the Patroller long-endurance tactical drone system, along with drone solutions for infantry soldiers and Special Forces. The Patroller can be used for both homeland security and all types of military missions. Featuring a modular design, it incorporates a high-performance, multi-sensor payload, mounted in the fuselage or a wing pods (including optronics, radar and electronic warfare equipment). It can fly over 20 hours at a stretch, at altitudes up to 20,000 ft.
Sagem's expertise in this field is based on solid R&D and production capabilities in France: greater Paris area (R&D), Fougères (electronics cards), Dijon (optronic sensors), Poitiers (infrared cameras), Montluçon (integration, ground stations, avionics and navigation equipment). Over the last 25 years Sagem has produced over 150 Sperwer tactical drones, and provides front-line support for the systems deployed by the French Army.
