Frontex will Test Heron UAV for Maritime Surveillance

IAI's Heron and Leonardo's Falco will be field tested for long-term aerial surveillance of maritime areas by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency

The European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) will conduct remotely piloted aircraft system tests for long-term aerial surveillance of maritime areas, according to Ouest France (contract notice: 390536-2017).

The tests, scheduled for the second to the fourth quarter of this year, will involve two platforms that will perform 900 hours of flight over 120 days. The first platform is IAI's Heron, and the second is Leonardo's Falco. 

IAI is said to receive 4.75 million euros, while Leonardo will get 1.7 million euros.

In November 2017, Frontex also launched a call for tenders for the supply of aerostats. The tests and evaluations, for which two providers will be selected, will be carried out in the island of Lesbos, Greece, for 15 months.