Role & capabilities
- Reconnaissance
- Primary domain
- Air
- System type
- Reconnaissance aircraft
- Developer / manufacturer
- Leonardo
- Origin / production countries
- Italy
- Other names
- No additional names recorded
- Variants / configurations
- Not distinguished in reviewed sources
- Operators / programme customers
- Not identified in reviewed sources
Evidence & current status
First flight-test campaign documented in 2022. Completion of later certification or operational acceptance is not established here.
Falco Xplorer is Leonardo’s larger medium-altitude surveillance aircraft, distinct from Falco EVO. A manufacturer technical sheet defines the aircraft and its planned sensor architecture; a December 2022 release records completion of the first flight-test campaign and preparation for a further certification phase.
Flight testing supports a development classification. A stated intention to obtain military type certification is not proof that the certificate was later issued, nor does certification alone establish customer fleet acceptance. The two sources are retained with their original chronology rather than presented as new September 2026 announcements.
The aircraft’s modular payload concept includes imaging, radar and electronic-surveillance options. Published maximum payload and endurance are not assumed to occur together. Satellite communications concern connectivity beyond radio line of sight, not unlimited physical range. A later certificate, contract or operator acceptance record would allow the maturity fields to advance without rewriting the historical test milestones.
Sourced specifications
Figures apply to the named configuration. Maximum values are not guaranteed operating performance.
| Specification | Reported value | Context & source |
|---|---|---|
| Airframe | Runway-operated fixed wing | 2019 manufacturer baseline. Source ↗ |
| Launch / recovery | Not established in the reviewed public sources. | Public evidence gap. No estimate or neighbouring variant value has been substituted. Source ↗ |
| Propulsion | Not established in the reviewed public sources. | Public evidence gap. No estimate or neighbouring variant value has been substituted. Source ↗ |
| Dimensions | 9 m length; 18.5 m span; 3.8 m height | 2019 sheet. Source ↗ |
| Mass | 1,300 kg maximum take-off | Published design baseline. Source ↗ |
| Endurance | More than 24 hours | Supplier figure under stated ISA performance conditions. Source ↗ |
| Range | Not established in the reviewed public sources. | Public evidence gap. No estimate or neighbouring variant value has been substituted. Source ↗ |
| Speed | Not established in the reviewed public sources. | Public evidence gap. No estimate or neighbouring variant value has been substituted. Source ↗ |
| Altitude | Above 30,000 ft advertised ceiling | Technical-table claim; not an achieved test altitude. Source ↗ |
| Payload | Approximately 350 kg class | 2022 release; not assumed at maximum endurance. Source ↗ |
| Sensors | EO/IR, maritime radar, AIS and electronic-intelligence options | Baseline integration described for certification trials. Source ↗ |
| Communications / navigation | Line-of-sight and satellite links | Equipment and service dependent. Source ↗ |
Publication history
- — Added in the September 2026 global coverage review, with sources, configuration limits and explicit data gaps.
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Follow the evidence
Source types identify who makes the claim. Programme milestones and supplier statements should be read in context.