Flamingo
Flamingo is a tactical surveillance unmanned aerial vehicle developed by SATUMA (Private) Limited of Pakistan. It is a shoulder-wing, twin-boom monoplane built for reconnaissance and surveillance missions, with a maximum takeoff weight of 245 kg and a stated endurance of six to eight hours.
Overview
SATUMA, founded in 1989, is a Pakistani UAV manufacturer that has supplied surveillance, trainer and target-drone aircraft to the Pakistan Air Force and other military customers, and the company states it established Pakistan's first UAV squadron for the Pakistan Air Force in 2003. Flamingo sits in SATUMA's surveillance-UAV line, built around a larger, longer-endurance airframe than the company's smaller Jasoos tactical reconnaissance aircraft. SATUMA markets Flamingo for reconnaissance and surveillance missions, supported by a truck-mounted ground control station with two operator consoles and a real-time, dual-channel datalink.
Design and capabilities
Flamingo is a shoulder-wing monoplane with a twin-boom tail, 5.18 m long with a 6.61 m wingspan. The airframe has a maximum takeoff weight of 245 kg and carries a 30–35 kg sensor payload. SATUMA's published figures give a cruise/top speed of 130 km/h, a service ceiling of 12,000–15,000 ft (roughly 3,660–4,570 m), an endurance of six to eight hours, and an operational range of more than 200 km. Power comes from a four-cylinder, two-stroke gasoline engine rated at 50–60 hp, with a 28 V, 900 W electrical system for avionics and payloads. The aircraft launches and recovers on a wheeled undercarriage rather than a catapult or parachute, and is flown either by remote control or pre-programmed autonomous navigation.
Use cases
SATUMA positions Flamingo as a surveillance and reconnaissance platform for military and government operators, built to carry electro-optical or similar sensor payloads over an extended loiter time for area monitoring and intelligence-gathering missions. SATUMA's own published customer list for its wider product range centres on the Pakistan military, though the company has not publicly named a specific Flamingo operator.
Frequently asked questions
What is the range of the Flamingo drone?
SATUMA states an operational range of more than 200 km, within an endurance of six to eight hours.
How much does the Flamingo weigh?
SATUMA gives a maximum takeoff weight of 245 kg, with a 30–35 kg payload capacity.
How fast does the Flamingo fly?
SATUMA lists a top speed of 130 km/h and a service ceiling of 12,000–15,000 ft.
Who makes the Flamingo?
SATUMA (Private) Limited, a Pakistani UAV manufacturer founded in 1989 that also builds the Jasoos reconnaissance UAV and the Ababeel target drone.
How is the Flamingo launched?
It takes off and lands on a wheeled undercarriage, rather than being catapult-launched or parachute-recovered like some smaller SATUMA types.
