SARP Harpia: ADTECH SD’s advanced Brazilian remotely piloted aircraft platform

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Against the backdrop of unmanned systems becoming ever more established as strategic tools for military operations, public safety and societal support missions, the SARP Harpia is emerging as one of the most advanced remotely piloted aircraft platforms developed in Latin America. Built by Brazil’s Advanced Technologies Security & Defense (ADTECH SD) in São José dos Campos (SP), the system brings together long endurance, BVLOS operation and high operational versatility in a solution designed around Brazil’s specific needs.

On 13 May, Zona Militar visited the company’s facilities, following the production, integration and operational validation work, as well as the preparations of Harpia air vehicles destined for a real-world search-and-rescue tasking on the São Paulo coastline.

More than simply a remotely piloted aircraft, Harpia now stands among the most sophisticated unmanned aerial platforms produced by Brazil’s Defence Industrial Base. Fully operational and already used on real missions in Brazil, it is increasingly positioned as a national strategic capability focused on today’s requirements for long-duration surveillance, monitoring and reconnaissance.

Inside ADTECH SD’s Harpia production line in São José dos Campos

The visit offered a close look not only at the programme’s advanced maturity, but also at the substantial industrial set-up ADTECH SD has established in São José dos Campos-one of Brazil’s leading technology and aerospace hubs. Throughout the technical tour, Zona Militar tracked everything from structural manufacturing of the aircraft through to the final integration steps for onboard systems.

One of the highlights was fuselage manufacture using high-performance composite materials, including carbon fibre, glass fibre and Kevlar. These materials deliver strong structural resistance while cutting weight, improving aerodynamic efficiency and supporting the robustness required for extended missions.

The team also observed aircraft assembly, electronic integration, and the installation of navigation, communications and avionics systems. In addition, dedicated laboratories were shown where operational validation is carried out and mission payloads are integrated for ISTAR tasks (Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance).

SARP Harpia in a real search-and-rescue operation on the São Paulo coast

During the 13 May visit to ADTECH SD, Angelo Nicolaci also followed the operational preparations to deploy Harpia air vehicles for a real search-and-rescue operation along the São Paulo coastline. The mission supported rescue teams and civil defence authorities mobilised after a young man went missing in the São Sebastião area, after entering the sea in an attempt to save a friend.

On that occasion, it was possible to see not only static system checks on the aircraft, engine start-up, and validation of communications and navigation systems, but also the logistics work involving the vehicle tasked with transporting Harpia’s Ground Control Station (GCS). The GCS would later be used as a mobile operating base during search activities on the northern São Paulo coast.

The drones were formally incorporated into the search task force on 14 May, on the fourth day of the operation, in an extremely demanding operational theatre. Conditions included rough seas, hard-to-reach coastal areas and high risk to vessels and rescue personnel. Using remotely piloted aircraft significantly expanded monitoring coverage of coastal zones-particularly rocky stretches, gaps between cliffs and sectors where sea conditions prevented safe approaches by boats and even complicated the use of the deployed helicopter.

The wider effort combined assets from public bodies-such as Civil Defence and the Grupamento de Bombeiros Marítimo (GBMar)-alongside private and civilian initiatives. In Harpia’s case, the ADTECH SD platform was used to provide extended aerial coverage and real-time image transmission to search teams, leveraging one of its core capabilities: up to 12 consecutive hours of flight endurance and continuous live monitoring.

By tracking these preparations, Zona Militar was able to see Harpia in an authentic operational setting, demonstrating not only the platform’s high level of technological maturity, but also its growing usefulness in missions that support society-civil defence, monitoring of critical areas, and search-and-rescue (SAR) operations-as well as other high-complexity emergencies.

Mission profile, BVLOS capability and payload options

Harpia was designed for border surveillance, reconnaissance, maritime monitoring, protection of critical infrastructure, environmental observation, and support to public security and defence operations. Its architecture was shaped around Brazil’s geographic realities: vast rainforest areas, long distances, difficult access routes, and the extensive maritime zone associated with the “Blue Amazon”.

Today, the system is already operating in the states of Acre and Amazonas, where it has been used in surveillance and monitoring missions supporting strategic operations in highly complex environments-particularly across the Amazon region. More recently, public bodies also approved Harpia for operations in urban centres, greatly widening its potential employment in public security, urban monitoring, critical infrastructure protection and surveillance in densely populated areas, as well as civil defence missions such as searching for missing persons and monitoring areas affected by natural disasters.

For Bruno Cunha, CEO of ADTECH SD, Harpia’s design began with the need to build a platform tailored to Brazil’s real operational demands.

“"Harpia was developed from the perspective of being used in operations in Brazil, shaped by vast territorial spaces, dense jungle, an immense border belt and the environment of the Blue Amazon. From that perspective, the aircraft was designed to be extremely versatile",” said Bruno Cunha, CEO of ADTECH SD.

That operating philosophy led to features the company describes as essential for complex, long-duration missions. According to information presented by ADTECH SD, Harpia offers endurance of more than 12 hours, BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line of Sight) capability, extended operational range, and the ability to operate in remote environments without prepared runways.

A further key differentiator is the catapult launch system and recovery via parachute and airbag. This approach substantially reduces the need for complex logistical infrastructure and expands usability in isolated regions, border areas, rainforest environments and places with limited facilities.

Harpia can also fly with multiple payload configurations, including electro-optical sensors, infrared cameras, mapping via synthetic aperture radar (SAR) or photogrammetry, signals monitoring (SIGINT), and solutions aimed at intelligence, reconnaissance and target acquisition.

In an international context where drone use has expanded rapidly in contemporary conflicts-especially following lessons observed in the Russia–Ukraine war-ADTECH SD says it chose to focus on operational robustness, technological reliability and the maturity of onboard systems.

“"Harpia is built around robustness and operational safety, using technologies that have already been validated and thoroughly tested for ISTAR missions, having succeeded in proof-of-concept trials and operations both in Brazil and internationally",” noted Bruno Cunha, CEO of ADTECH SD.

The company argues that while the global market has been flooded with many drone models in recent years, only a small number of platforms manage to combine long endurance, operational reliability, logistical flexibility and technological maturity within a single system.

The lack of ITAR restrictions and the high level of national content make Harpia particularly appealing for Latin American countries and other nations looking to increase surveillance and monitoring capacity without excessive dependence on major international suppliers.

Certification, ANAC approval and national manufacturing

Another topic raised during the visit was the demanding certification pathway faced during the aircraft’s operational consolidation.

“"One of the main challenges of the Harpia project was, without doubt, the bureaucratic barriers related to certifications. Although they are extremely necessary for safety, the process is slow and complex, and it took almost five years for the project’s definitive certification to be issued",” Bruno explained.

Harpia is currently approved by ANAC for BVLOS operations and certified as a Strategic Defence Product (PED), a status viewed as fundamental for programmes linked to technological sovereignty and Brazil’s operational independence.

At the same time, ADTECH SD maintains that domestic technological mastery is central to ensuring autonomy in critical defence sectors.

“"Harpia is manufactured entirely in the interior of the state of São Paulo, in São José dos Campos, with national technology, expertise and labour, with very few imported components due to the absence of equivalents in Brazil or the region",” stated Bruno Cunha.

What became clear during the tour is that Harpia is far more than a remotely piloted aerial platform. The system also represents the ability of Brazil’s Defence Industrial Base to deliver complex, competitive and technologically mature solutions in one of today’s most strategically important segments.

Within this setting, Harpia appears not only as a high-technology Brazilian solution, but also as a strategic alternative for Brazil, Latin America and other countries seeking capable platforms outside the traditional United States–Europe axis. Free from political constraints, embargoes and limitations often associated with major international manufacturers, the Harpia system brings together operational autonomy, logistical flexibility and strategic independence.