Two PASI Searcher Mk III Class II Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) upgraded by IAI/MALAT were successfully tested by the NAto Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) and the Spanish Army in the Eim Shemer Airfield (Israel) at the end of June 2018, the NSPA said on July 9, 2018.

A PASI Searcher Mk III Class II UAV delivered to Spanish Army
(Credit: NSPA)

Both UAVs are fully airworthy and have been configured to the PASI II standard configuration baseline of the whole fleet. After the preservation of both engines, the UAVs will be disassembled and shipped back by NSPA directly to Madrid.

The two PASI UAVs currently in service in the Spanish Army were acquired in two stages between 2007 and 2010. Those UAVs provide the Spanish Army an extensive Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) capability to perform a variety of missions in any operational theatre.

NSPA has managed the upgrade of these Class II Tactical UAVs in a very short time, exceeding the expectations of the Customer. This upgrade is part of the Spanish Army roadmap in order to extend the life cycle of the System until 2025

Spanish Army's PASI is based on the IAI Searcher, which was developed in Israel in the 1980s. It is powered by a sole 47 hp piston engine, giving it a 200 km/h maximum speed within a service ceiling of 6,100 m. It features an endurance of 18 hours.