INTRACOM DEFENSE (IDE) signed a €42 million contract with the European Defence Fund (EDF) for the ACTUS project ("Advanced capabilities & Certification for Tactical UAV Systems"). The company is the Coordinator of the European consortium that emerged victorious after completing a competitive process in which leading European manufacturers participated.
The 48-month project aims at the technological advancement of European Tactical Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAVs), namely the LOTUS and PATROLLER, to meet the common operational requirements of the Ministries of Defence of six European Union member states (Belgium, France, Greece, Cyprus, Sweden, Finland), as well as Norway.
The contract includes the study, design, prototyping, testing, evaluation, certification, and enhancement of the effectiveness of European-manufactured Tactical Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (T-RPAS).
The ACTUS project consortium includes 23 partners from nine EU member states and Norway: Austria (AIT Austrian Institute of Technology), Belgium (ULPOWER AERO ENGINES NV), France (SAFRAN Electronics & Defense, THALES LAS FRANCE SAS), Germany (AES Aerospace Embedded Solutions, DIEHL DEFENCE, TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET MUENCHEN), Greece (ALTUS LSA Commercial & Manufacturing, DIADIKASIA Business Consulting, Hellenic Aerospace Industry, IDE, ISD, University of Patras, REALISCAPE), Spain (EMBENTION SISTEMAS INTELIGENTES), Cyprus (CY.R.I.C Cyprus Research & Innovation Center, GEOIMAGING, SIGNALGENERIX), Sweden (SAAB AKTIEBOLAG), Finland (Patria, Robonic), and Norway (SAFRAN Sensing Technologies Norway, UBIQ Aerospace).
UAV LOTUS
The Greek-origin "invisible" UAV LOTUS, specifically designed for effective border surveillance and threat recognition, will eventually operate in coordination with Greek fighter jets in COMAO (Composite Air Operations) over the Aegean.
This new drone, with stealth capabilities and NATO standard interoperability (Link 16), will serve as a deadly weapon for the Greek Armed Forces. The invisible drone will send real-time images of Turkish targets to Greek fighter jets, which will lock on to and neutralize the targets while staying at a safe distance from Turkish anti-aircraft systems.
UAV Patroller
The UAV Patroller is designed for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions. It can be used for both external operations as well as internal security and maritime surveillance missions, according to the manufacturer, SAFRAN.
The Patroller is equipped with the high-resolution Euroflir 410 EO/IR pod, in combination with a COMINT (COMmunication INTelligence) sensor or a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) for detecting moving targets (MTI).
With this configuration, the Patroller contributes to the protection of troops on the battlefield. It provides data regarding tactical situations while simultaneously conducting electronic warfare (EW) operations.
For maritime surveillance missions, the Patroller is equipped with multi-mode surveillance radar, enabling the detection of maritime activity at a long range across a wide area. This version also includes an Automatic Identification System (AIS) for vessel classification. Final recognition is carried out using the Euroflir 410.
The Greek Armed Forces are preparing for the Aegean battle, as the Turks are continually testing the UCAV Kizilelma.
