Hellenic Army will receive Patroller MALE
The current Elliniki Stratou (ES - Hellenic Army) Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) fleet, consisting of Safran Electronics & Defense (formerly by SAGEM) Sperwer reconnaissance UASs, will be augmented with another system of the same manufacturer; the Patroller MALE (Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance) of which the airframe is based on the Stemme ASP S15 motor glider.
The drones will be operated by 472 and 473 TEPP (Tagma Epitirisis Pliroforikis or Surveillance and Information Technology Battalion). Initially they will be stationed at Alexandria Gidàs Airport where the Kéntro Ekpaídefsis Aeroporías Stratoú (Army Aviation Training Center - KEAS) is located.
The Sperwer UASs assets are not operated by the Elliniki Aeroporia Stratou (EAS - Hellenic Army Aviation) command but are part of the Signal Corps. They serve in the two key units of the ES, the 4th Army Corps and ASDEN, specifically in the Unmanned Aircraft Company (L/MEA) of the 472 TEPP of ASDEN as well as the 1st Electronic Communications Complex Information Technology and Surveillance War (1st SEHIPPEP) 473 TEPP of the 4th Army Corps.
Once operational, the four aircraft and three ground stations that were ordered in June 2023 will move to Heraklion air base, Crete and Kavala air base respectively.
Greece is the first export customer of the Safran Patroller and they will eventually replace the Sperwer in Hellenic Army service.
Picture: F-WUAV SAF04186 by Olivier Lapy / Safran