Schiebel’s CAMCOPTER® S-100 Unmanned Air System (UAS) once again convinced with its outstanding maritime capability when successfully completing qualification flights for the French Navy from 29 May to 3 June 2017.
The flight trials were performed from the deck of the Bâtiment de Projection et de Commandement (BPC) Dixmude, the newest of the French Navy’s three Mistral class amphibious assault ships. The French fleet is currently undergoing a modernization process within which Schiebel participates in flight trials in order to confirm the Ship Helicopter Operating Limits (SHOL) and to qualify the CAMCOPTER® S-100’s integration onto the BPC.
During the flight demonstrations in the Western Mediterranean the CAMCOPTER® S-100 conducted around 30 takeoffs and landings within a total of 15 flight hours during day and night. A L3 Wescam’s MX-10 was used to transmit daylight and infrared data. Throughout the trials the system was operated independently by the French Navy CEPA/10s crew.
As in previous deployments for the French customer, Schiebel’s CAMCOPTER® S-100 proved to be a highly valuable asset for demanding maritime operations.
Founded in 1951, the Vienna-based Schiebel Group focuses on the development, testing and production of state-of-the-art mine detection equipment and the revolutionary CAMCOPTER® S-100 Unmanned Air System (UAS). Schiebel has built an international reputation for producing quality defense and humanitarian products, which are backed by exceptional after-sales service and support. Since 2010, Schiebel’s composite division supplies high-tech customers with products of supreme carbon fiber technology – all quality-controlled to meet ISO 9001 standards.
With headquarters in Vienna (Austria), Schiebel now maintains production facilities in Wiener Neustadt (Austria) and Abu Dhabi (UAE), as well as offices in Washington DC (USA) and Phnom Penh (Cambodia).
Schiebel’s CAMCOPTER® S-100 Unmanned Air System (UAS) is an operationally proven capability for military and civilian applications. The Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) UAS requires no prepared area or supporting equipment to enable launch and recovery. It operates in day and night, under adverse weather conditions, with a beyond line-of-sight capability out to 200 km, over land and sea. Its carbon fiber and titanium fuselage provides capacity for a wide range of payload/endurance combinations up to a service ceiling of 18,000 ft.
In a typical configuration, the CAMCOPTER® S-100 carries a 75 lbs/34 kg payload up to 10 hours and is powered with AVGas or JP-5 heavy fuel. High-definition payload imagery is transmitted to the control station in real time. In addition to its standard GPS waypoint or manual navigation, the S-100 can successfully operate in environments where GPS is not available, with missions planned and controlled via a simple point-and-click graphical user interface. The unmanned helicopter is backed by Schiebel’s customer support and training services.
