Defence

Sagem Défensé Sécurité has changed one component in its Sperwer unmanned air vehicle that the company believes was responsible for three in-flight electrical failures that delayed testing by Canada’s armed forces earlier this year.

“We had to change one electrical component which – we supposed – was the cause of the failure,” Sagem says. “We have planned test flights in June in the same configuration, including within a strong radio-electrical environment, and will deliver to the Canadian Forces all the outcome, details and conclusions.”

The French manufacturer says the failures, which caused uncommanded deployments of the UAV’s drogue chute during testing at Canada’s Aerospace Engineering Test Establishment (AETE), were the first of their kind involving the type (Flight International, 7-13 June). More than 100 Sperwers are in service in Europe, none of which have experienced the problem, it says.

Canada hopes to resume Sperwer testing in August or September with the AETE and to reintroduce the type into service from next January.

ANDRZEJ JEZIORSKI/VANCOUVER