Leonardo has introduced its Falco Xplorer medium-altitude long-endurance drone fitted with MBDA’s Brimstone precision-guided missile.
The unveiling at the Paris Air Show 2023 marked the first time that weapons were integrated on the previously unarmed platform.
According to company official Luca Picollo, the weaponized version of the Falco Xplorer can be used in conflict situations like Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
It boasts 24-hour endurance to support intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), as well as combat missions.
“We have already [completed] integration, including the ground activities for integration of the Brimstone 3,” he told Breaking Defense. “What we want to do now is close certification of the ISR version and then concentrate on the weaponized version.”
The Falco Xplorer
Leonardo’s Falco Xplorer is regarded as a state-of-the-art solution for persistent multi-sensor surveillance.
It can gather information over the horizon and relay real-time data to operators using a secure satellite connection.
Additionally, it has a maximum payload capacity of 350 kilograms (772 pounds), enough to carry several 50-kilogram (110-pound) Brimstones.
The Falco Xplorer drone displayed at the Paris Air Show 2023 only had a single Brimstone munition.
However, company executives said the payload can be configured depending on customer requirements since the platform can carry up to six missiles or 12 rockets.
The newly-modified drone is intended to attract the interest of existing Brimstone operators, including the Ukrainian Armed Forces.