Stemme AG subsidiary Ecarys is expanding its production facility in Strausberg, Germany, to fulfill an order from France’s Safran for 15 ES15 fixed-wing aircraft. Safran will convert the ES15 into the Patroller unmanned aircraft for the French army.
In an August 19 press release, Ecarys said it has “made space for another 10 to 15 development engineers” at a technology center in Strausberg to prepare for the production ramp-up. The company is based at Strausberg airfield east of Berlin.

Earlier this year, Safran and Ecarys signed an agreement for the supply of one prototype and 14 further ES15 platforms. Stemme, a German sports aircraft manufacturer, developed the ES15 in cooperation with the Technical University of Dresden.

Sagem was formally announced as the winner of the French army’s tactical drone system program in April, and 14 aircraft are funded in the military’s spending bill for 2014-2019. The Patroller will replac the Sagem Sperwer tactical drone used by the army’s 61st Artillery Regiment beginning in 2018.

The Patroller carries a 250 kg payload, flies to 20,000 feet and has 20 hours’ endurance. A Euroflir 410 gyrostabilized optronic pod is mounted under the aircraft’s forward fuselage, and it can also carry radar and signals intelligence payloads. The maximum takeoff mass of the ES15 is 1,100 kg (2,425 pounds); the Patroller’s is higher because of the modifications, Ecarys said.

“We are proud to be able to say that the ES15 has contributed to the success of the Patroller, and look forward to being a dependable partner for Safran into the future,” said Paul Masschelein, Ecarys CEO.

Ecarys has received 17 orders for the ES15 thus far this year. Asked about the additional orders, Ecarys said a border agency from a European unio member country that it could not name has ordered the manned version of the aircraft for surveillance.