Italian aircraft manufacturer Piaggio Aerospace has resumed flight tests (at Birgi Military Airport in Trapani, western Sicily) for the second prototype of its P.1HH HammerHead — a multi-purpose unmanned aerial system capable of aero, marine and terrestrial surveillance and reconnaissance.
Designed, developed and manufactured in Italy, P.1HH is the only remotely piloted MALE (Medium Altitude Long Endurance) system in Europe. It consists of two remotely piloted aerial vehicles, a ground control station and integrated navigation and mission systems.
The capabilities of Italian companies such as Leonardo and Piaggio Aerospace are fully integrated within the P.1HH programme, with “fundamental support” from the Italian Ministry of Defence and the Italian Air Force.
Flight test resumption follows the completion of an intensive programme of on-the-ground testing in recent months.
First deliveries are planned for 2018.