SAGEM Sperwer

s/n 161001

as/n 161001

161001

This may have been the unit used for initial training in Canada from September 2003. Deployed to Afghanistan on 29 October 2003, with the UAV Troop of 2 Royal Canadian Horse Artillery Regiment, Petawawa, Ontario. First public flight in Afghanistan on 6 November 2003. Operational in Kabul as late as April 2004. Believed to have returned to Valcartier, Quebec in August 2004. Used for training at CFB Suffield, Alberta in September 2005. Category B damage near Kandahar, Afghanistan on 21 November 2006, when landing air bags deployed shortly after launch. Landed 250 metres from launcher. Investigation focusing on air bag control system, improvements being developed. Category B damaged again at Kandahar on 1 November 2008, appears engine kill button inadvertently pushed during launch. Arrived at Canadian Aviation Museum at Rockcliffe, Ontario by January 2010. Placed on display at the Museum on 23 February 2010.
last update: 2024-December-25

s/n 161002

as/n 161002

161002

Deployed to Afghanistan on 29 October 2003. Category B damage on 20 March 2004, near Kabul, Afghanistan. Was launched on operational mission, failed to climb above 50 feet AGL. Parachute deployed, but did not have time to inflate. Possibility of mis-set carburetor, and resulting power loss at high density altitude. Believed to have returned to Valcartier, Quebec in August 2004. Used for training at CFB Suffield, Alberta in September 2005. Back in Afghanistan when it suffered Category B damage on 6 July 2006, when airbags deployed shortly after launch. Impacted ground 300 metres from launcher. Investigation focusing on possible failure and sand contamination in valve in airbag inflation system. Category B damage on 9 May 2008 at CFB Wainwright, Alberta. Propeller tip contacted launcher during launch, aircraft crashed 50 metres from end of launcher.
last update: 2024-December-25

s/n 161003

as/n 161003

161003

Deployed to Afghanistan on 29 October 2003. Crashed while performing test flight in Afghanistan, as part of granting of flight authority. Parachute failed to deploy at end of flight, turbulence may have played a role.
last update: 2024-December-25

s/n 161004

as/n 161004

161004

Category C damage on 30 June 2004, near Kabul, Afghanistan. Contact lost near end of night time operational mission. Recovered in emergency mode and landed in a residential area, lightly contacting a power line and coming to rest against the wall of a house. No obvious collateral damage and no injuries were experienced. Damage to the right wing and nose areas. Alternator positive cable found to have abraded on bolt due to incorrect clamp installation, causing short and total electrical failure. Classified as Category C damage. Subsequent investigation found several other maintenance anomalies, report stated "hastening of maintenance training in order to expedite theatre deployment of the UAV troop had a detrimental effect on maintenance quality assurance." Believed to have returned to Valcartier, Quebec in August 2004.
last update: 2024-December-25

s/n 161005

as/n 161005

161005

Deployed to Afghanistan on 29 October 2003. Was practicing autopilot recovery circuits, descent command was issued early on fourth practice approach circuit. Impacted the terrain while in a descending final turn to the inbound track. The air vehicle sustained A category damage.
last update: 2024-December-25

s/n 161006

as/n 161006

161006

Last of first order for 6 airframes. Operational in Afghanistan by 2006.
last update: 2024-December-25

s/n 161007

as/n 161007

161007

Replacement aircraft, part of second batch ordered c. April 2004. Possibly rebuilt from earlier serial number? Category D damage at CFB Cold Lake, Alberta on 1 May 2005. Aircraft was being used to test maximum link range and recovery accuracy, when the aircraft suffered total electrical failure, resulting in automatic recovery. Category C damage on 14 October 2005, during training mission at Camp Wainwright, Alberta. Drifted after recovery parachute deployed, landed in group of small birch trees, 288 meters from intended touch down point. Operated at that time by the TUAV Flight, made up of personnel from No. 408 (TacHel) Squadron and 5e Regiment d'Artillerie Legere du Canada. Severe damage on 24 October 2006, when engine lost power shortly after launch from Kandahar airport. Carburetor had been replaced a few days earlier. Category B damage at Kandahar on 18 August 2008, when parachute did not fully deploy after normal mission. At the RCAF Museum at CFB Trenton by June 2010.
last update: 2024-December-25

s/n 161008

as/n 161008

161008

Replacement aircraft, part of second batch ordered c. April 2004. Possibly rebuilt from earlier serial number? Operational in Afghanistan by 2006. Destroyed at Kandahar airport on 22 November 2007, when parachute did not deploy during recovery sequence.
last update: 2024-December-25

s/n 161009

as/n 161009

161009

First aircraft of third batch, ordered in December 2005, deliveries scheduled for mid 2006. Destroyed on 6 May 2006, when parachute did not deploy during recovery from an operational mission at Kandahar airport. Destroyed by post impact fire. Unlike first two batches, this vehicle was in overall grey finish.
last update: 2024-December-25

s/n 161010

as/n 161010

161010

Part of third batch, ordered in December 2005, deliveries scheduled for early 2006. Destroyed on 11 January 2007, when engine failed 30 kilometres from Kandahar airport. Initial report indicates fuel pump failure.
last update: 2024-December-25

s/n 161011

as/n 161011

161011

Part of third batch, ordered in December 2005, deliveries scheduled for early 2006.
last update: 2024-December-25

s/n 161012

as/n 161012

161012

Part of third batch, ordered in December 2005, deliveries scheduled for early 2006.
last update: 2024-December-25

s/n 161013

as/n 161013

161013

Part of third batch, ordered in December 2005, deliveries scheduled for early 2006. Operational in Afghanistan by July 2006, in overall light grey scheme.
last update: 2024-December-25

s/n 161014

as/n 161014

161014

Probably one of the ex-Danish Sperwers, acquired second hand in September 2006. Destroyed in a crash at Kandahar airport on 24 January 2007, when controls froze during recovery operation after hurried operational launch. Preliminary investigation cites unofficial abbreviated check list being used, due to time pressures.
last update: 2024-December-25

s/n 161015

as/n 161015

161015

Probably one of the ex-Danish Sperwers, acquired second hand in September 2006.
last update: 2024-December-25

s/n 161016

as/n 161016

161016

Probably one of the ex-Danish Sperwers, acquired second hand in September 2006. Operational in Afghanistan by December 2007, in overall grey finish. Category B damage during a launch from Kandahar Airfield on 25 May 2008. Propeller was damaged during launch, foreign objects (tools) suspected on launch rail.
last update: 2024-December-25

s/n 161017

as/n 161017

161017

Probably one of the ex-Danish Sperwers, acquired second hand in September 2006. Category B damage near Kandahar, Afghanistan on 6 April 2008. Engine power dropped shortly after launch, crew initiated emergency recovery, but aircraft hit ground before parachute and airbag fully deployed. Category B damage again at Kandahar on 25 July 2008, ground station equipment faults resulted in hard landing. Destroyed on 25 October 2008, near Kandahar. Engine failure during routine mission lead to emergency landing off field. Airframe scavenged by locals before being recovered.
last update: 2024-December-25

s/n 161018

as/n 161018

161018

Probably one of the ex-Danish Sperwers, acquired second hand in September 2006. Destroyed in Afghanistan on 8 April 2007, when the aircraft departed controlled flight while cruising en route to operational location. Initial report cites alternator failure, resulting in automatic recovery sequence being started.
last update: 2024-December-25

s/n 161019

as/n 161019

161019

Probably one of the ex-Danish Sperwers, acquired second hand in September 2006. Operated at CFB Wainwright, Alberta in May 2007, during Exercise Maple Guardian, in overall grey finish. Destroyed at Kandahar, Afghanistan on 5 March 2008. Failed to climb after launching, struck piece of construction equipment 365 metres from launch site.
last update: 2024-December-25

s/n 161020

as/n 161020

161020

Probably one of the ex-Danish Sperwers, acquired second hand in September 2006. Destroyed in crash at Kandahar airport on 10 July 2007. Crew was performing manual recovery sequence, parachute began deployment at too low an altitude and aircraft was destroyed by impact.
last update: 2024-December-25

s/n 161021

as/n 161021

161021

Probably one of the ex-Danish Sperwers, acquired second hand in September 2006. Category C damage at Kandahar airport on 3 July 2007. Piece of propeller left airframe shortly after launch, parachute did not fully deploy due to low altitude.
last update: 2024-December-25

s/n 161022

as/n 161022

161022

Probably one of the ex-Danish Sperwers, acquired second hand in September 2006. Destroyed near Kandahar Airfield on 5 May 2008. engine lost power right after launch, aircraft struck ground at high speed 10 seconds after launch.
last update: 2024-December-25

s/n 161023

as/n 161023

161023

Probably one of the ex-Danish Sperwers, acquired second hand in September 2006. Category A damage at Kandahar airport on 31 October 2007, when parachute did not deploy during recovery sequence.
last update: 2024-December-25

s/n 161024

as/n 161024

161024

Possibly one of the ex-Danish Sperwers, acquired second hand in September 2006. Category B damage on 22 May 2008, near Kandahar Airfield. Aircraft pitched down and struck ground shortly after launch, blocked pitot tube suspected.
last update: 2024-December-25

s/n 161025

as/n 161025

161025

Possibly one of the ex-Danish Sperwers, acquired second hand in September 2006. Category B damage on 27 March 2008, west of Kandahar airfield. Normal launch, but contact lost while transiting to operational area. Entered safe mode, damaged in parachute landing.
last update: 2024-December-25

s/n 161026

as/n 161026

161026

Possibly one of the ex-Danish Sperwers, acquired second hand in September 2006. Destroyed at 09:00 local on 9 August 2008 near Kandahar Airfield. Pitched abnormally right after parachute deployed for normal landing, struck ground nose down with partially inflated parachute. Parachute misrigging suspected. On display at Air Force Museum in Calgary, Alberta by early 2014.
last update: 2024-December-25

s/n 161027

as/n 161027

161027

Possibly one of the ex-Danish Sperwers, acquired second hand in September 2006. Destroyed on 18 March 2008 at Kandahar, Afghanistan. Apparently lost control on launch, rolled left and pitched down, striking ground at speed.
last update: 2024-December-25

s/n 161028

as/n 161028

161028

Possibly one of the ex-Danish Sperwers, acquired second hand in September 2006. Category B damage during landing at Kandahar Airfield on24 October 2008. Main parachute deployed too slowly, was not full inflated when aircraft struck ground. Airframe placed on display at the Greenwood Aviation Museum at CFB Greenwood in May 2014 is a composite assembled by the Museum using parts from 161028 and at least one other airframe, and a civil Rotax engine purchased through Kijiji.
last update: 2024-December-25

s/n 161029

as/n 161029

161029

Possibly one of the ex-Danish Sperwers, acquired second hand in September 2006.
last update: 2024-December-25

s/n 161030

as/n 161030

161030

Possibly one of the ex-Danish Sperwers, acquired second hand in September 2006. Destroyed near Kandahar on 22 august 2008. Apparent engine failure in flight, emergency descent started. Aircraft reported burning on the ground shortly afterwards. Remains scavenged by locals, no recovery attempted.
last update: 2024-December-25

s/n 161031

as/n 161031

161031

Possibly one of the ex-Danish Sperwers, acquired second hand in September 2006. Destroyed near Kandahar on 6 November 2008. Engine failure during mission resulted in emergency descent from low altitude, destroyed by post impact fire.
last update: 2024-December-25