Italian Air Force Flies Strix Mini-UAV in NATO Trials

Italian Air Force Flies Strix Mini-UAV in NATO Trials (NSI News Source Info) ROME - October 6, 2008: The Italian Air Force is flying a new Italian mini-UAV it has acquired in a NATO trial in Sardinia, an Italian official said. The Strix, a hand- or catapult-launched flying wing planned for special-forces use, has been sold by small Italian firm Alpi Aviation to the Italian Air Force, said Col. Sandro Sampaoli.

Strix Mini-UAV

Alpi Aviation has also sold a demonstrator to Italy's Selex Galileo, which will market the UAV, an Alpi Aviation manager said. Equipped with daytime video and infrared camera, the man-portable Strix has an advertised range of 7.8 miles, a maximum payload weight of 3.3 pounds and a maximum endurance of 135 minutes. The Strix lined up Sept. 29 alongside Italian Army Raven UAVs, as well as U.S.-operated Maveric, Raven, Vector-P and Wasp UAVs in NATO's Trial Imperial Hammer exercise in Sardinia, which is being managed by Sampaoli. "The Strix, which has now reached Initial Operating Capability, will operate with Air Force force protection units during Trial Imperial Hammer and in future with Air Force Special Forces," Sampaoli said. He said the Air Force had brought one ground station and three Strix UAVs to Sardinia. The UAVs join a range of manned aircraft in a trial involving 17 nations and over 1,000 personnel designed to improve time-sensitive targeting through data-sharing across platforms and among NATO partners, with a focus on asymmetric warfare, said Capt. Herbie Hopp, chairman of NATO's SIGINT-EW working group. UAVs would be involved in IED-locating exercises in Sardinia, he said.