Loitering munition in Alpine trials: French Army tests drones from EOS Technologie

The 93rd Mountain Artillery Regiment of the French Army (Armée de Terre), part of the 27th Mountain Infantry Brigade, recently tested how well the drones from EOS Technologie cope with mountains and winter. For two days, the reliability and resilience of the remotely controlled Veloce 330 and Rodeur 330 munitions were tested in high mountains. The Veloce 330 is a drone in the loitering munition class.

The ground station of the Veloce 330 was set up at an altitude of 2,250 metres. Flights took place at 3,600 metres and 5,000 metres; in cruise flight the Veloce 330 required only 13 per cent of its engine power.

According to EOS Technologie, missions at altitudes above 6,000 metres are also conceivable. The flights took place in the French Alps, under icing conditions at minus 7 degrees and wind gusts of up to 70 km/h.

Data on the Veloce 330 loitering munition and the Rodeur 330

Two people assemble the Veloce 330 in less than three minutes, and it hits targets with metric precision. With a maximum take-off weight of 25 kilograms, it has a wingspan of 3.3 metres. A small jet engine provides a cruising speed of 200 km/h; the drone performs its terminal dive onto the target at 400 km/h with automatic target guidance.

The Rodeur 330 otherwise has the same dimensions but flies with an electric motor and propeller, reaching a cruising speed of 120 km/h. Carrying a 4-kilogram payload, it achieves flight times of up to five hours and ranges of up to 500 kilometres at 100 km/h.

For transport, each of the two unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) fits into a container measuring 155 × 85 × 56 centimetres. EOS Technologie has a strategic industrial partnership with KNDS France.