From 6 to 9 September 2021, testing of the Primoco UAV One 150 unmanned aircraft took place at the Libavá military training area for the benefit of the Army of the Czech Republic. The tests focused on verifying communication systems for supporting battlefield communications and optical reconnaissance sensors. The aircraft was operated under the company’s civilian authorization, but was equipped with military communication systems and an electro-optical reconnaissance payload selected by the Army of the Czech Republic. The purpose of the tests was both to familiarize Army of the Czech Republic specialists with the aircraft itself and to verify the performance and characteristics of the communication and reconnaissance systems.
The One 150 aircraft, with a maximum take-off weight of 150 kg, was equipped with special radio communication systems in the form of tactical, sensor, and technological datalinks, represented by L3 Harris radios using the ANW2C waveform and a datalink from Persistent Systems using the WaveRelay waveform. These waveforms and radios were specified by specialists from the Army of the Czech Republic, as they form part of the forthcoming concept of the “Architecture of Tactical Radio Communication Systems for Ground Forces Units.”
On the final day of testing, the Chief of the General Staff, Army General Ing. Aleš Opata, and the Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Ing. Miroslav Hlaváč, attended in person. They were briefed on the progress of the tests, as well as on the unmanned aircraft and its operating system, including a ground demonstration of the first military One 150M aircraft, which has already been registered in the military aviation register of the Ministry of Defence. During the demonstration, the Chief of the General Staff particularly praised the capabilities of Czech industry: “Czech suppliers are key for the Army of the Czech Republic, as they are able to address our requirements effectively and quickly, even in emergency situations. I welcome the possibility of cooperation with the Czech aviation industry, including Primoco UAV, as it is beneficial for both sides, and this demonstration was proof of that. The tests of the communication systems fully met their objectives and show that the concept adopted by our army for the development of communication systems based on ad-hoc MANET networks is the right path. It also confirms that the strategy for developing command-and-control systems was chosen correctly, and that its expected expansion to include airborne communication assets will raise the capabilities of the army as a whole to a new level.”
During the presentation of the aircraft to the delegation of the General Staff, the CEO of Primoco UAV SE stated: “It is an honour for us to cooperate with the Army of the Czech Republic. Its personnel carried out perfectly organized work in preparing and conducting the tests. The extensive experience of army personnel during this exercise enabled us to gain valuable insights that will help improve the One 150M aircraft so that it can meet the needs of modern armed forces even more effectively. I consider it important to note that our company only provided the operation and piloting of the aircraft, while the onboard systems were operated by members of the Army of the Czech Republic. I would like to thank General Opata for the opportunity to organize such tests. The mere fact that the Army of the Czech Republic monitors the development of domestic industry capabilities and, at certain moments, wishes to test these capabilities, demonstrates that its specialists are following global trends and are continuously working to increase the capabilities of the force.”