Schiebel has successfully demonstrated the capabilities of its Camcopter S-100 unmanned helicopter aboard the Brazilian Navy’s Amazonas-class ship APA.
The assessments were aimed at evaluating the aircraft’s payload capabilities, including L3 Wescam MX-10, Selex ES SAGE ESM, Selex PicoSAR Radar and an automatic identification system.
The trials were performed at ranges up to 44nm, with target detection out to 90nm.
When mounted using a harpoon system, the vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) UAS supports take-off and landing in conditions up to sea state five, further boosting operational ability.
It also offers unique degrees of flexibility, versatility and persistence onboard Italian Navy ships for anti-piracy missions.
The UAS features Wescam MX-10 and a Shine micro-automatic identification system (AIS), which allow for the gathering of time-critical data for continuous periods of approximately six hours.
Eliminating the need of launch or recovery equipment with day and night operations, the aerial system’s ‘fly-by-wire’ technology allows automatic completions of its missions.
Integrating EADS Astrium’s Pseudolite-based DeckFinder local positioning system, the Camcopter S-100 UAV has also completed a series of flight tests.
During early June, the Italian Navy also started technical assessments of the S-100 UAV on the San Giusto (L89894) landing helicopter dock to verify integration with the vessel’s systems, take-off and landing capability from the deck, and sensor capabilities.
Image: The Schiebel Camcopter S-100. Photo: courtesy of Stahlkocher.
