The first system of the new Unmanned Aerial Vehicle of the French Army Patroller is expected to be received early 2025.
In November 2024, the first test flight of the new Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Patroller took place.
Regarding the cost, this may not be so high, however, its capabilities will offer benefits at a tactical, operational and strategic level for the Army.
Following their acquisition, the Greek Army will acquire upgraded reconnaissance and information collection capabilities as they will provide real-time information to operations centers, while their advanced sensors will be able to detect moving targets at long distances.
What is the new Unmanned Aerial Vehicle?
In June 2024, at the Eurosatory 2024 international exhibition, which took place in Paris, the French army, in collaboration with the manufacturer SAFRAN, presented its new tactical unmanned aerial vehicle, the Patroller.
According to Safran, the Patroller can operate for 15 hours at an altitude of 16,000 feet, with a range of 180 kilometers and a maximum speed of 200 km/h.
It is equipped with Safran’s Euroflir 410 stabilized multispectral imaging generator and Leonardo Electronics’ PicoSAR synthetic aperture radar (SAR) with ground moving target indication (GMTI), which uses active electronically scanned array (AESA) technology.
Additionally, it provides capabilities that can be combined with firepower to neutralize the enemy.
It can also detect, track and acquire targets, as well as assess a situation before taking any action. In addition, it can assess damage afterwards and contribute to 3D mapping.
UH-60M Blackhawk
In the context of the main equipment priorities of the Armed Forces, after the integration of the three new Romeo MH-60R helicopters into the Greek arsenal, the “black hawks”, UH-60M Blackhawk, of the Army Air Force will also take their turn in 2025.
The supply of 24+11 UH-60M Blackhawks, which will replace the “old” UH-1 Huey, is expected to cost around 1.95 billion dollars, while the relevant equipment includes engines, missile warning systems, wireless communication systems, as well as training equipment, as well as personnel training.
At the same time, the US government and the manufacturing company will provide mechanical, technical and logistical support.
American Bradleys in the “air”
Finally, although the acquisition of American M2A2 Bradley Armored Fighting Vehicles (AWVs) for the Land Army was included in Anthony Blinken’s letter to Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, it seems that – among other armament programs for the Navy and the Air Force – almost a month before the newly elected Donald Trump takes office, the issue is not proceeding.
According to information from “N”, the initial US proposal concerned Bradleys which were not in good condition and 8 million euros were required for their repair costs. A similar example is the LCS ships for the Hellenic Navy as an “interim solution”, as the ships proposed by the US had no the right propulsion system.
According to the same sources, if there is no proposal that meets the requirements of the Greek Army, one scenario is the modernization of its M113.
