The Falco (English: hawk) is a tactical unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) designed and produced by Selex ES (now Leonardo formerly Leonardo-Finmeccanica and Finmeccanica, originally by Galileo Avionica of Italy). The UAV is designed to be a medium-altitude, medium-endurance surveillance platform capable of carrying a range of payloads, including several types of high-resolution sensors. A larger variant, the Falco EVO, is capable of carrying larger payloads is also available. Neither system is designed to carry weapons, The launch customer, Pakistan, reportedly wanted the Falco armed, a request that Italy rejected.

Development

Design

The Falco UAV System comprises: The Falco UAV is 17 ft long, 6 ft high, has a 24 ft wingspan and a top speed of 134 mi/h. A maximum altitude of around 16400 ft and endurance of up to 14 hours can be attained. As well as providing the Falco air vehicle, Selex ES offers a range of sensors, including EOST 46 electro-optical/infrared turret, Gabbiano 20 multi-mode surveillance radar and the PicoSAR radar. The latter is a compact, active "e-scan" radar providing synthetic aperture radar imagery and ground moving target indication. When used in conjunction with change detection software, the PicoSAR can be a powerful counter-IED tool. The Falco can also carry the SAGE electronic warfare suite for accurate direction-finding, classification and geo-location of emitters. The Falco EVO System has a payload capacity of up to 100 kg and an extended endurance of up to 18 hours.

Operators

Falco is the only tactical UAS entirely developed in Europe to have been exported and used in operations. Elbit of Israel has also ordered the Selex ES Gabbiano radar for the Hermes 450 and 900 UAVs, for long-range surveillance cover over land or sea, with applications including synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and inverse SAR imagery modes. Selex ES has not commented on operators but the Falco has been reported as being acquired by the following countries:

Operational history

Pakistan

It has been deployed by Pakistan's military, after the purchase of 24 planes, to the Swat Valley, and a partnership is planned between Selex Galileo partner and the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex, a state-owned defense manufacturer, to produce the Falco in Pakistan. The Falco does not carry armaments and has no strike capability. The U.S. has refused to sell Pakistan its more advanced UAVs over concerns about "sensitive data". The word Falco means hawk in Italian.

Jordan

On 15 and 16 June 2017 two Selex Falco were shot down in the vicinity of the town of Daraa by Syrian MiG-23 fighters.

Specifications (Falco)