The Spanish Navy and Airbus Helicopters have collaborated on a tactical flight trial in Rota, Spain, which saw the integration of the offshore patrol vessel Rayo with the Navy’s H135 helicopter and two uncrewed aerial systems.
The participating drones, Airbus’ Flexrotor and the Alpha Unmanned Systems A900, were managed through the HTeaming solution, offering direct demonstration of coordinated operations between crewed and uncrewed platforms.
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During the exercise, which took place earlier this month, H135 crew members operated the drones in flight utilising the HTeaming tablet.
This technology enabled the simultaneous take-off and landing of both uncrewed platforms from the vessel while the vessel was underway.
The trial scenario included a simulated high-speed boat pursuit, in which both the Flexrotor and Alpha 900 tracked the target vessel and streamed live footage to the helicopter and ship.
Real-time data collected by the drones was transferred to the ship’s combat station and integrated with NAIAD, a tactical unmanned vehicle integration system developed by Navantia.
Compatibility with the SCOMBA combat management system, also produced by Navantia for the Spanish Navy, was achieved by bridging through the Helicopter Integrated Tactical System developed by Airbus.
This facilitated command and control functions and interoperability across aerial, surface, and underwater domains.
The HTeaming system demonstrated its ability to control various types of uncrewed systems, successfully integrating the Alpha Unmanned Systems A900 drone during the mission.
The joint exercise confirmed that crews in helicopters can have direct control of drones and receive sensor data beyond the ship’s own detection range.
Looking ahead, project participants plan to further develop integration between air, sea, and land assets, with additional exploration of swarm drone capabilities expected to follow this initial demonstration.
