Schiebel, together with Thales and sponsored by the UK Royal Navy participated in REPMUS (Robotic Experimentation and Prototyping using Maritime Uncrewed Systems) and Dynamic Messenger 2022 in Portugal. Together, we successfully demonstrated the CAMCOPTER® S-100 and its Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) and cargo delivery capabilities, which all received wide acclaim. The successful operational capability demonstrations of the S-100 were part of a larger annual North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) exercise showcasing Unmanned Systems and how the very latest technological advancements can be incorporated into the platforms for real-world operational benefit. Equipped with an Overwatch Imaging PT-8 Oceanwatch and a Wescam MX-10, the S-100 showed how easily it could automatically detect and identify small objects at sea in various sea states, as a valuable part of ISR and SAR missions. With its suspended cargo delivery net, the CAMCOPTER® S-100 also successfully delivered medical supplies from the port to a ship nearby.
Hans Georg Schiebel, Chairman of the Schiebel Group, said: “It was an honour to participate in this year’s NATO’s exercise in Portugal. Together with Thales and the UK Royal Navy, we successfully completed numerous flight trials of the S-100, showcasing a variety of impressive capabilities. I am very proud to be able to state that with several hundred thousand flight hours under its belt, the CAMCOPTER® S-100 is the only established and operationally proven UAV of its class.”
Unmanned Air Systems have traditionally focused on delivering ISR, but now Schiebel, working with Thales, are developing an ASW capability, which was tested for the first time during this NATO exercise. The demonstrated scenario was the surveillance and protection of the approaches to a strategic port. With a barrier of sonobuoys already laid, the S-100 equipped with a Wescam MX-8 EO/IR sensor in the nose and a Thales BlueScan® data relay sensor, was deployed to monitor the transmission of data from the sonobuoys and relayed it to the command cell ashore, permitting the detection and classification of possible enemy submarines. The major NATO exercise also enabled the CAMCOPTER® S-100 to show its existing prowess completing ISR, Search and Rescue (SAR) and cargo delivery operations.
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 by day and by night, under adverse weather conditions, with a beyond line-of-sight capability out to 200 km / 108 nm, over land and sea. Founded in 1951 in Vienna, the globally operating Schiebel Group focuses on the development, design and production of the revolutionary CAMCOPTER® S-100 Unmanned Air System (UAS). Certified to meet AS/EN 9100 standards, Schiebel has built an international reputation for producing high-tech military, commercial and humanitarian products, which are backed by exceptional after-sales service and support. Schiebel has facilities in Vienna and Wiener Neustadt (Austria), Manassas, VA (USA), Abu Dhabi (UAE), and Shoalhaven (Australia).
