A request from a Middle East customer

For privately owned Brazilian aerospace company Akaer Engenharia, the Albatross project started in 2019 when a  Middle East and North Africa military customer made a request for a long-range search-and-rescue (SAR) and maritime patrol UAV. Partnering with with SENAI CIMATEC research institute and Stella Tecnologia, Akaer developed the Albatross family of multimission, multipayload, medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicles (MALE UAVs).

The Albatross platform can be tailored to meet customer requirements

Initially developped for SAR and maritime patrol missions, the Albatross can be tailored to meet customers' requirements. Standard fittings include an electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) sensor, communications for line-of-sight and beyond line-of-sight control, inertial navigation system, Global Positioning System, attitude and heading reference system, retractable landing gear, automatic take-off and landing system, and autopilot. Propulsion consists of two 115 hp BRP-Rotax 914F four-stroke gasoline engines with propellers.

Three paylod modular bays

Three payload modular bays, which combined have a total volume of 1,079 litres, are available to accommodate a variety of payloads including: inverse synthetic aperture radar, synthetic aperture radar, electronic warfare suite, and automatic identification system. External wing hardpoints can deploy lightweight torpedoes and launchers for loitering ammunition. In the SAR configuration, the compartments can deploy rescue gear, including a rescue boat.