EADS ATLANTE

The EADS ATLANTE is a Spanish tactical unmanned aircraft system, its name standing for Avión Táctico de Largo Alcance No Tripulado Español. The Spanish article says it was designed to meet the requirements of the Spanish Army for an unmanned aircraft with intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance capability around the clock and in adverse weather, and also for target identification, correction of fire and damage assessment. A system is made up of four aircraft, a ground control and data receiving station, a transport, launch and recovery unit, a remote video terminal and a maintenance team. The aircraft would be launched from a pneumatic catapult and recovered by parachute or net, with a simple landing gear as an alternative on conventional or unprepared runways. The programme was included in the 2007 to 2012 strategic plan of the Spanish aeronautical sector, was funded through the CDTI and was to be led by EADS Defense and Security, which became Cassidian and is now part of Airbus Defence and Space, with GMV and Aries Ingeniería y Sistemas as partners. The first flight took place on 28 February 2013 at the Rozas aerodrome in Lugo province. The article lists a maximum take-off mass of 520 kilograms, a wingspan of 8 metres and a length of 4.6 metres.