MILIPOL 2017: ECA Group UAV IT180 Gets New SIGINT Payload.

At MILIPOL 2017, ECA Group, specialist in robotics for use in hostile environments, unveiled the IMSI-Catcher signal intelligence module for its UAV IT180 mini-drone. An indispensable tool in the fight against terrorism, the IMSI-Catcher* is a means of surveillance that makes it possible to carry out electronic intelligence missions, namely: detect and identify communication systems. This means is used by state agencies.

While the IMSI-Catcher module is already used in ground and airborne vehicles during special operations in the field, its integration in a UAV such as ECA Group’s IT180 promises to facilitate and considerably expand its use.

While the IMSI-Catcher module is already used in ground and airborne vehicles during special operations in the field, its integration in a UAV such as ECA Group’s IT180 promises to facilitate and considerably expand its use.
"Complementary to operations already carried out by aircraft, the UAV will enable detection missions to be carried out discreetly in hard-to-access areas with rapid and flexible deployment conditions.” explained Francis Duruflé, Sales Manager of the Aerial UAV business at ECA Group.
The operation’s success is greatly facilitated by the UAV's ability to overcome obstacles (roads, forests, mountains or desert areas) and to fly lower, getting closer to the targets.

The IT180 platform is capable of integrating different types of IMSI Catchers to carry out operations in multiple contexts depending on mission, country, regulatory and environmental objectives. The three essential assets of the IT180 UAV that play a decisive role in an intelligence mission are:
• its 50-minute autonomous flight
• 30-km flight range and high payload capacity
In addition to the IMSI Catcher, this allows to mount also a high-definition camera on board the IT180 for collecting additional and detailed information, both electronic and visual.
Available from the first quarter of 2018, the integration of this IMSI-Catcher module allows ECA Group to further extend its offer for the intelligence community.

* IMSI - International Mobile Subscriber Identity (unique ID number contained in a SIM card used to identify the user of a mobile phone network).