Aliaca

Aliaca is a tactical unmanned aerial system developed by Survey Copter, an Airbus subsidiary of France, for land, coastal and maritime intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions. The original fixed-wing Aliaca is catapult-launched and recovered by net, in roughly 15 minutes with two operators, and Survey Copter unveiled a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) variant in 2025 that removes the need for any launch or recovery equipment.

Overview

Survey Copter built Aliaca for naval and coastal surveillance, pitching it as a system that needs only a small logistic footprint and no helicopter deck to operate from aboard ships of varying size. The original fixed-wing Aliaca was certified and qualified by the French defence procurement agency (DGA) under the Marine Mini Airborne Drone Systems (SMDM) contract and has been deployed aboard roughly 20 French Navy ships since 2022. Both the fixed-wing and VTOL versions carry Survey Copter's own gyro-stabilised GX5 electro-optical/infrared turret for day and night imagery and, on naval missions, an Automatic Identification System (AIS) receiver that can detect ships at ranges of several hundred kilometres.

Design and capabilities

The fixed-wing Aliaca comes in two configurations. The electric Aliaca Evo is built for short-range, low-signature missions; Survey Copter's datasheet rates the thermal-engined Aliaca ER, compatible with JET A1, JP5 and JP8 fuel, at a 3.6 m wingspan, a 16 kg take-off weight, up to 6 hours of endurance and up to 80 km of range — roughly double the Evo's figures. A 2022 Naval News report instead cited a 100 km range for the ER variant; Survey Copter's own datasheet is used here as the manufacturer-sourced figure.

Survey Copter unveiled a VTOL variant of the Aliaca at the SOFINS special-forces trade show in Bordeaux in April 2025, adding four extra propellers for vertical take-off and landing while keeping the existing pusher propeller for forward flight. Army Recognition reports it at a 27 kg maximum take-off weight, a 3.5 m wingspan and a 2.1 m length, with an electric VTOL Evo rated at 3 hours' endurance, a 50 km range and a 2 kg payload, and a hybrid-engined VTOL ER rated at 6 hours, 80 km and a 3 kg payload. The Defense Post, reporting on the French Navy's order, instead gives a 25 kg take-off weight and a 2-hour endurance for the same 3.5 m wingspan and 50 km range — the two trade-press figures do not fully agree, which may reflect different configurations or reporting at different stages of the programme. The aircraft can be dismantled and carried in a light vehicle such as a pick-up truck, and Survey Copter says it is now commercially available to institutional and defence customers.

Use cases

• Search-and-rescue mission support
• Maritime traffic surveillance from naval ships or coastal command posts
• Target detection, identification and tracking, including special-forces support missions

Operational history

The fixed-wing Aliaca has equipped roughly 20 French Navy ships since 2022 under the DGA's SMDM programme, used for search-and-rescue missions in the English Channel and as what the Navy calls "remote binoculars" aboard patrol vessels and frigates. The Defense Post reports that France ordered the new VTOL configuration as an amendment to that programme — taking the total Aliaca fleet ordered for the French Navy to 34 systems — with deliveries due to begin in May 2026, which would make the French Navy the type's first VTOL operator.

Frequently asked questions

What is the range of the Aliaca?

Survey Copter's datasheet rates the fixed-wing Aliaca ER at up to 80 km; the newer VTOL ER variant is rated at the same 80 km range with a shorter 6-hour endurance ceiling matching the fixed-wing ER.

Does the Aliaca need a runway?

The original fixed-wing Aliaca is catapult-launched and net-recovered, needing no runway. The 2025 VTOL variant needs no launch or recovery equipment at all, taking off and landing vertically.

Who operates the Aliaca?

The French Navy, which has flown the fixed-wing version from roughly 20 ships since 2022.

What sensors does the Aliaca carry?

A gyro-stabilised GX5 electro-optical/infrared turret built by Survey Copter, plus an AIS receiver for maritime target detection.