MADRID, Jan. 23 (UPI) -- A Spanish-made unmanned aerial vehicle launched by catapult and retrieved with an impact absorbing net has been demonstrated to Europe's border officials.
The Fulmar Aerial Teledetection System, which employs surveillance systems from the Thales Group, is built by Aerovision Vehiculos Aereos. The aircraft is 10 feet in length and weighs 79 pounds. It has a range of nearly 500 miles, a speed of 93 mph and can achieve an altitude of about 9,900 feet.
Thales Spain said the two-hour demonstration, sponsored by the European Union's border control agency, successfully spotted targets and sent still images and video of them in real time to a ground base.
"At this event, Thales and Aerovision have demonstrated that the Fulmar is a competitive solution that can be adapted to different needs and can integrate with other systems to provide a global solution," Thales Spain said in a news release.
"Fulmar is currently operative in Malaysia, where it performs border surveillance tasks in the Strait of Malacca."
The demonstration for various national border officials was conducted in Greece, during which UAV systems from a number of manufactures were showcased.
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