The French Armament General Directorate (DGA) has signed a contract with Airbus Helicopters and Naval Group for the supply of six VSR700 uncrewed aerial systems (UAS).
The VSR700 will operate in an Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) configuration, equipped with a surveillance radar, an electro-optical system, and an Automatic Identification System (AIS) receiver.
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The French Navy will operate the aircraft from 2028.
Naval Group is tasked with integrating the VSR700 into ship architecture and connecting it to the combat system through the Steeris Mission System.
The aircraft, which is derived from Hélicoptères Guimbal’s Cabri G2 helicopter, serves as a dual-use UAS.
Its naval military version was developed under the French Navy and DGA Système de drone aérien de la Marine (SDAM) programme, in partnership with Naval Group.
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By GlobalDataAirbus Helicopters CEO Bruno Even said: “We are honoured that the French Ministry for the Armed Forces has decided to launch the next phase of the VSR700 programme with serial production for France and future export customers within the frame of the agreement signed at the Paris Air Show in 2025.
“Airbus Helicopters is fully committed to delivering this much-needed operational capability. Our teams are focused on providing the French Navy with a reliable, high-performance tool that enhances their sovereignty and mission success.
“To ensure the success of this next chapter, we have established a new industrial setup specifically designed for serial production. This structure allows us to adapt to the specificities of the UAS market and to scale efficiently while maintaining the highest standards of aeronautical safety and performance.”
Testing of the VSR700 and its associated mission system has occurred both on land and at sea.
The testing process for the VSR700 VTOL aircraft began in June 2017. Its first flight took place at a drone test centre in France in November 2019.
In November 2020, the UAS achieved its first fully autonomous take-off and landing on a moving platform.
Further tests in early 2021 saw the aircraft reach a speed of 60 knots (111 km/h), following its completion of low-speed envelope expansion.
Autonomous take-off and landing trials at sea commenced for the French Navy in early 2022.
The uncrewed platform often works alongside crewed helicopters, providing expanded intelligence gathering and conducting extended surveillance operations.
The VSR700 also has potential applications for civil operations such as firefighting and disaster relief.
Airbus has demonstrated that the VSR700 can coordinate missions with crewed helicopters using its HTeaming solution.
