Sky Eye Techniques Srl, an organization of the OMA Foligno SpA Group, in December 2022 signed with the Basic Secretariat of Defence, Nationwide Directorate of Aeronautical Armaments and Airworthiness (DAAA) the Contract for the provision of Rapier X-25 UAV programs to all ‘Italian military. Intimately, these are two programs, every outfitted with three plane.
The Contract has a complete worth of 9 million euros and in addition consists of built-in logistic help providers and theoretical and sensible coaching all through two years plus an elective one.
The X-25 Rapier System was conceived by adopting essentially the most superior aeronautical design strategies, in compliance with NATO Normal STANAG 4703.
The Rapier boasts top-in-the-class EO/IR sensors meant for Intelligence-Surveillance-Goal Acquisition-Reconnaissance (ISTAR) missions and is the one RPAS available on the market within the Mini class beneath 25 kg of Most Take-Off Weight (MTOW) to have obtained from the DAAA, on 27 October 2022, the Certificates of Sort (Airworthiness) with none limitation for the inhabitants density of third events overflown.
In November and December 2022, take a look at flights have been carried out for the experimentation of the brand new Rapier X-VTOL configuration which shares 70% of the technological options and elements of the Rapier X-25 , thus permitting a drastic discount of the ” Time to Market”, of the event prices and the hassle required to certify the brand new model of the plane as nicely.
The Terrestrial model has endothermic gasoline propulsion and electrical motors for the VTOL operate outfitted with excessive redundancies and resistance to lateral wind gusts. It’s also outfitted with an electrical motor with a pulling propeller which permits the climb and descent price of the plane to be doubled in particular operations that require excessive efficiency, moreover cruising flight with solely the electrical motor is permitted for low affect floor approaches acoustic, that is significantly helpful in hostile working theaters.
The Gentle Marina model options hybrid propulsion: electrical for the vertical take-off and touchdown phases, and an inner combustion engine with pusher propeller for horizontal flight, which makes use of JP5 gas, to permit its use on ships and marine platforms. On this marine model, the bow thruster permits precision landings by reversing the course of rotation. It has an working vary of 100 km and an autonomy of 5 to 11 hours relying on the mission. It mounts EO/IR sensors and different elective payloads corresponding to Hyperspectral, Lidar, IFF, SIGINT and in addition SAR (Artificial Aperture Radar) sensors, because of the intense flexibility and modularity of the payload bay.
The RAPIER X-25 Remotely Piloted Plane System (RPAS) designed by the corporate SKY EYE SYSTEMS Srl has been licensed by the DAAA (Directorate of Aeronautical Armaments and Airworthiness), in accordance with the AER (EP) customary. P-2 Em. 1 dated 08 Could 2013. The result’s of great significance as it’s the one army certification granted in Italy and Europe with out limitations relating to the inhabitants density overflown for the MINI RPAS 25 kg class. On this respect the Rapier is superior to merchandise of the identical class made within the USA.
The System, being in full compliance with the NATO STANAG 4703 customary, has obtained a Sort Certification which permits it to function with out limitations because of design and architectural decisions, corresponding to for instance having carried out dissimilar triple redundancies in addition to Restoration and return to a “secure” level downstream of the primary failure of an inertial platform or following a blockage of one of many management surfaces which doesn’t have an effect on the controllability of the plane.
The achievement of this goal was doable because of the shut collaboration between the DAAA and the Firm which made it doable to optimize the design and development decisions in line with the strict standards adopted for increased class machines.
The fixed-wing plane has a wingspan of three.65 m and a most take-off weight of 25 kg, is supplied with a high-performance EO/IR sensor and will probably be used for ISTAR ( Intelligence, Surveillance, Concentrating on and Reconnaisance) missions), can be utilized for the coaching of pilots and operators of upper class plane (LIGHT and TACTICAL). The truth is, the Rapier with its flight efficiency and sensors, the fifth technology GCS, with automated and semi-automatic flight modes, would enable pilots and operators to realize a excessive “coaching effectiveness”, earlier than shifting onto the working machines with appreciable financial savings when it comes to time and prices. The system is supplied with a proprietary Flight Management System (FCS), whose SW was developed and authorized in accordance with RTCA Security Vital DO178C DAL B tips. The Floor Management Station (GCS) of the Rapier X-25, which additionally complies with the DAL B degree of the RTCA DO178C, consists of two stations, one for Command and Management (C2), the opposite for sensor administration. The pneumatic launcher, optimized when it comes to weight and efficiency, permits a dependable take-off of the plane, even in non-ideal atmospheric circumstances (low/excessive temperature, presence of humidity and/or wind).
The LOS-type communication system permits command and management and information/video transmission as much as 90 km away between the plane and the GCS (BVLOS, Past Visible Line Of Website).
The Rapier X-25 can be already in use by the Air Drive, with which a contract has been stipulated for the provision of Built-in Logistics Assist for the years 2022 and 2023, together with coaching for pilots, sensor operators, upkeep technicians, spare supplies, adherence help with Firm technicians, for a complete of 600 flight hours, to hold out each scheduled (Technical Degree 1, 2 and three) and unscheduled upkeep operations.
The system is being evaluated by different Italian and overseas Armed Forces in addition to by Civil Entities corresponding to Fireplace Brigade, Areas, and so forth.
Within the Italian industrial panorama, Sky Eye Techniques, licensed by the DAAA via the discharge of the MDOA (Army Design Group Approval), holds aeronautical expertise and high-level know-how for an entire area of applied sciences geared toward design, prototyping, manufacturing and help Logistics of Licensed Unmanned plane.
To ensure Product high quality and Buyer Satisfaction, all of the enabling applied sciences supporting the design and evolution of the produced programs are mastered and developed internally in Sky Eye Techniques via a extremely certified crew of Technicians and Engineers.
