Selex Galileo is to collaborate with Jordan's King Abdullah Design and Development Bureau (KADDB) in the design and development of an unmanned air vehicle and sensors to equip the nation's special operations forces. The two sides have signed a memorandum of understanding, which will see work start at KADDB's facilities in Amman early next year, the Italian company said in a November 23 statement.

A Selex Galileo official speaking at the Dubai Air Show said the cooperation pact would cover unmanned vehicles ranging from the medium endurance Falco tactical machine down to small and mini UAV types. The official said the company, part of Finmeccanica, would be staging demonstrations of the Falco to potential customers in the Middle East region, including countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council, in upcoming months. Although the company has not officially acknowledged it, the Falco has already secured an order from Pakistan, and deliveries are underway. Selex is also expecting a decision by early next year from the Italian army on whether to acquire a variant of the Falco to meet its surveillance requirements.

News of the agreement with the state-owned KADDB operation follows recent demonstrations of the Falco in North Africa. Selex officials declined to name the country where demonstrations took place. Reports have previously linked the Falco to a possible deal with Libya. The flight campaign in North Africa saw the Falco fly for 14 hours with a payload weight of 45 kilograms during a night flight. The company said the payload included the PicoSAR active electronically scanned array radar and an electro optic sensor.