Aarok UAV makes maiden flight
The Aarok MALE UAV made its maiden flight on 9 September, albeit with a human pilot onboard. (Turgis Gaillard)
The Turgis Gaillard Aarok medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) made its maiden flight on 9 September.
The milestone took place at Blois-Le Breuil Aerodrome in central France, and saw the Aarok fly with a human pilot geared at accelerating and facilitating its development.
“The design office did a very good job, [and] the first flight was fully in line with expectations,” test pilot Axel Valat said after the event.
Powered by a 1,200 hp Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6 turbine, the Aarok is designed for a maximum take-off weight of 5.5 tonnes. The aircraft took off well below this value, with a partial fuel tank and without a mission system on board.
“Our ambition is then to manufacture a second prototype to accelerate development,” Patrick Gaillard, Turgis Gaillard CEO, said. “With this in mind, the first prototype would be used to open up the flight envelope and then, in a second phase, to test the integration of operational equipment, radar, and optronics. The second prototype would be used more for the development of the remote piloting part.”
For more information on the Aarok, please seeParis Air Show 2025: Aarok UAV starting flight tests, gets Thales radar .
Go beyond the headlines - with direct links to interconnected entities
Get full access to validated equipment, military capabilities, and market insights.
