The Spanish Air Force is proceeding with the validation of the ILS receiver developed by Canard Drones and the associated tools for its potential implementation to the service.
This project began in December 2018 with the help of the DGAM (General Directorate of Armament and Material) and is entering its final validation phase.
Canard Drones has carried out, together with the Spanish Air Force, tests of its system at the airbases of Matacán (Salamanca), Getafe (Madrid), Albacete and very recently, Morón, near Seville. The tests compare the reports and measurements of the Canard System with recent flight inspections. The results are satisfactory.
This project is carried out in collaboration with the DGAM, and MALOG (Logistics Support Command), with CLOTRA (Transmission Logistics Center) and CECAF (Cartographic and Photographic Center) collaborating internally. The CLOTRA carried out tests in its laboratories of the Canard equipment, as it is mandatory, and it was verified that the receiver meets the ICAO Doc 8071 requirements, with respect to the required accuracies.
The Spanish Air Force would use Canard systems to complement its current ground measurements, since the system allows more measurements to be taken, at points of greater value, with the consequent improvement of information in periodic ground inspections.
It also seeks to complement the flight inspections, by means of the measurements made with the drone, of some parameters already checked by the aircraft (such as alarms). This would allow to make presets to the systems so that when the plane comes to certify the radio aids, great modifications are not needed, nor to repeat the manoeuvres. Similarly, the time between flight inspections could be extended, since the system is maintained in tolerances with greater reliability.
The Canard system also allows the inspection of visual aids, so it becomes an ideal complement to the CECAF inspection aircraft. In this way, its use can be optimised, respond more adequately to the peaks of inspection needs.
The Spanish Air Force hopes to increase the efficiency of its operations with the integration of the Canard system, which is designed to be operated and maintained by the airforce own personnel.