SPAIN: first operational use of the ScanEagle drone

During its Eunavfor deployment as part of Operation Atalanta off the coast of Somalia, the Spanish Navy was able to use its RPAS (remotely piloted aircraft system) for the first time. ScanEagle from Boeing Insitu from on board the frigate REINA SOFIA (SANTA MARIA class). The Spanish Navy's drone squadron, based in Cadiz, has three systems, each with four Drones including a station for remote control. It is a fairly inexpensive system with good endurance (18 hours), a simple launch pad and even simpler landing procedure, which can be viewed on Twitter #rpas or @Armada_esp. The US Marines and US Navy have been using these systems since 2005. Over 20 countries now operate the ScanEagleThe most recent customer is the Brazilian Navy.