Camcopter S-100 demo for Belgian Navy

Schiebel has demonstrated the SAR and maritime surveillance capabilities of the Camcopter S-100 UAS for the Belgian Navy, the company announced on 3 July.

The trials, carried out from 21 June to 1 July, were designed to build an enhanced knowledge base and develop a concept of operations for the use of UAS in support of SAR and ISR missions.

For the demonstration flights, the helicopter was equipped with two payloads: the L3 Wescam MX-10 and the Overwatch Imaging PT-8 Oceanwatch; as well as an automatic identification system receiver and a rescue drop box.

The trials included various SAR scenarios in a land-based setting in Lombardsijde and in a maritime environment in the naval port of Zeebrugge.

Lt. Commander Biermans of the Belgian Navy, said: 'The trials with the S-100 have been very successful and have taught us a lot about the possibilities of such systems and sensors, the ability to operate in Belgian’s confined airspace, opportunities for the domain of coastal security and prospects for further developments.

'Given the complexity of introducing a maritime tactical UAS within the navy and its impact on the concepts of operation and tactics, this was a first informative step and will be part of a series of tests and experiments with a variety of vehicles and sensors.'

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Camcopter S-100