At the Dubai Airshow 2017 exhibition, Leonardo (www.leonardocompany.com) announced the first delivery of its Falco EVO Remotely Piloted Air System (RPAS) to its ‘launch customer’ in the Middle East.

The first of the newly built aircraft was completed in August, with the acceptance test carried out at Leonardo’s RPAS design and construction facility in Ronchi dei Legionari, Italy.

The Falco EVO, the longest-endurance model from Leonardo’s Falco RPAS family, is a surveillance and intelligence-gathering device that can fly for more than 20hr while carrying a payload of up to 100kg.

It has already been selected by two customers in the Middle East and Gulf region, echoing the success of the original Falco RPAS, which has been chosen by five international customers.

Existing Falco aircraft can be converted to the EVO model using a kit that adds longer wings and tail booms.

More than 50 Falco-family RPASs are currently in operation around the world, with some customers choosing to operate them independently, while others — such as the United Nations for its humanitarian MONUSCO mission — opt for Leonardo to own and operate the Falco aircraft and provide surveillance data as a managed service.

Leonardo is the only company in Europe able to offer a complete end-to-end RPAS system, including its sensors.

The UK Ministry of Defence recently placed a two-year jointly funded R&D contract with the company, with a key aim being to identify, develop and exploit the opportunities offered by such emerging technologies.