Canadian Warplanes 8: SAGEM CU-161 Sperwer unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)

SAGEM CU-161 Sperwer

(Author Photo)

The CU-161 SAGEM Sperwer (Sparrowhawk) (Serial No. 161028), CFB Greenwood Military Aviation Museum, Nova Scotia.

The SAGEM Sperwer (Pronounced Spehr-wuhr, Dutch for Sparrowhawk) is an unmanned aerial vehicle manufactured by the French firm SAGEM. The aircraft is piloted remotely and can cruise at altitudes of over 16,000 feet for as long as five hours. It can send back images of targets up to 150 kilometers from its operators on the ground.

Canadian Armed Forces operated the Sperwer in Afghanistan between 2003 and its last mission on 18 April 2009 when it was replaced with the Israeli built IAI Heron. (Wikipedia)

Canadian AOP (31), Army On Strength (31)

(Author Photo)

The CU-161 SAGEM Sperwer (Sparrowhawk) (Serial No. 161028), CFB Greenwood Military Aviation Museum, Nova Scotia.

(Author Photo)

SAGEM Sperwer CU-161 UAV (Serial No. 161007), National Air Force Museum of Canada, CFB Trenton, Ontario.

A Sperwer CU-161 drone is on display in the Reynolds Museum, Wetaskiwin, Alberta.

A Sperwer CU-161 drone is on display in the Air Force Museum Society of Alberta, Calgary, Alberta.

Personnel from No. 408 Squadron deployed to Afghanistan nearly continually from 2006 until 2011 . The unit initially forming a Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (TUAV) detachment using the CU-161 Sperwer.

If you found this valuable, consider supporting the author.