Saabs New Ucav 'filur' First Flight

[typhoon]

Filur at Vidsel base.

 

Baby-SHARK, JAS39 Gripen, FILUR.

 

(The UCAV's are scaled down research demonstrators and the Baby-SHARK has already done autonomous flight missions)

 

The FILIR first flight was kept in secret by the Swedish defense Material Administration until today's announcement at the Dubai airshow.

 

Press release:

A successful first flight with FILUR

 

Saab and FMV’s technology demonstrator program FILUR has made its first flight. It was a successful flight and the test results are now being evaluated in order to be able to optimize flight performance for future flights.

 

On the 10th of October the low signature demonstrator FILUR made its first flight.

“The ten minutes flight went really well, and we are now looking forward to a second flight test campaign during 2006”, says Mikael Franzén, UAV program Manager at Saab.

 

FILUR’s main objective is to show the tactical importance of stealth technology applied on aerial vehicles, to gain experience and to set a foundation for stealth requirements for future aerial systems and air-surveillance systems.

 

The focus with the FILUR program is on low signature, for both radar and IR-signature. “Static measurements of radar cross section (RCS) made late 2004 showed really good performance and corresponded with calculated data. In flight measurements of stealth performance will be done as a next step”, says Jan Boström FILUR Project Manager, Saab Aerosystems.

 

The technology developed in FILUR will be used for future Saab UAV-systems. This could be one important feature for the next generation tactical UAV’s.

 

Notes to editors:

FILUR is mainly financed by FMV research funding, and the total program is valued to about 80 million SEK. The FILUR program and Sweden’s competence within the area of low signature management/stealth technology is a result of many years of research and development in Sweden, as this type of projects has been conducted since the 1970’s. The FILUR program started in 2001 as a technology program for verifying the Swedish competence within the area of stealth technology.