In about a year from now the Army will acquire 4 PATROLLER Unmanned Aircraft from France. A move that brings Greece and France even closer together in the defense sector.
The signatures were signed on 9 January during the visit of the Chief of the Army General Staff, Lieutenant General Angelos Houdeloudis, to France, at the invitation of his counterpart, General Pierre Schill.
The Chief of Army Staff had a private meeting with his French counterpart, with whom he exchanged views on issues of common interest. The meeting took place in an excellent atmosphere and the common intention to further strengthen cooperation between the two sides was noted.
In the framework of the talks, a text of a common intention of cooperation for the development and use of PATROLLER unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) was signed.
Subsequently, the two Chiefs paid a visit to the French Army's Base Factory "Section Technique de l'Armée de Terre", where they were briefed on the mission, activities and innovations and toured its facilities.
The choice had been made since last summer and in the intervening period the details were discussed. The manufacturer SAFRAN had announced that:
"The Hellenic Army has selected Safran Electronics & Defense to upgrade the Greek Army's drone fleet with four new Patroller tactical drones to be added to the country's current Sperwer drones.
The Patroller leverages over 30 years of technological innovation at Safran Electronics & Defense in the field of tactical drone systems specializing in navigation, electronics and optics. Based on this extensive expertise, Safran develops in France flight-leading solutions for mission planning and execution, flight control, navigation, sensors, data links and integration into C4ISR architectures.
The Patroller is equipped with multiple sensors for intelligence missions on behalf of armies and internal security forces.
Featuring a range of innovative technologies, the Patroller benefits from the expertise Safran Electronics & Defense acquired in the Sperwer tactical drone system, and incorporates feedback from nine years of continuous development in Afghanistan.
In February 2023, the Patroller became the first tactical drone system to be officially certified to NATO's STANAG 4671 airworthiness standard, which applies to fixed-wing drones weighing more than 150 kg. This certification is a vital requirement for protection and homeland security missions.
This latest option, following on from the Sperwer in service today, and the addition of the Patroller to NATO's offerings confirm Safran Electronics & Defense's European leadership in tactical drones. The Patroller offers unrivalled versatility, ranging from support for ground forces to maritime and border surveillance, allowing it to perform a wide variety of surveillance missions."
