{"id":55243,"date":"2018-05-25T14:42:51","date_gmt":"2018-05-25T14:42:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2018\/05\/25\/europes-first-male-drone-hits-the-skies-using-space-based-tech\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T00:04:55","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T00:04:55","slug":"europes-first-male-drone-hits-the-skies-using-space-based-tech","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/unmanned\/2018\/05\/25\/europes-first-male-drone-hits-the-skies-using-space-based-tech\/","title":{"rendered":"Europe\u2019s first MALE drone hits the skies using space-based tech"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

ROME \u2015 The first European-built medium-altitude, long-endurance drone has flown in Italy using satellite navigation and data links provided by a European satellite<\/a>, its manufacturers said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Piaggio P.1HH, which has hitherto made test flights using line-of-sight navigation, flew out of Trapani airport in Sicily using satellite navigation provided by the Athena-Fidus satellite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The linkup was provided by Italian satellite services company Telespazio, which is 67 percent controlled by Italy\u2019s Leonardo and 33 percent by Thales. Athena Fidus is managed from Telespazio\u2019s space center in Fucino, Italy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The test comes as Europe is showing more interest in homegrown satellite navigation for drones, which is considered crucial to developing an autonomous UAV able to fly without GPS<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The long awaited \u201cEuroMALE\u201d drone, to be built by Airbus, Dassault and Leonardo, will fly using Europe\u2019s new Galileo satellite system<\/a> for navigation, Defense News reported earlier this month \u2014 even if it will initially also use GPS as a backup. Leonardo said it used the P.1HH as a \u201ctest bed\u201d to trial its satellite navigation technology, which could be used to support \u201cEuropean standardization and regulatory activities in the drone sector.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t