The Hellenic Navy has signed a contract to procure ship-based CAMCOPTER® S-100 Unmanned Air Systems (UAS) to be deployed on the Hellenic Navy’s Frégate de Défense et d’Intervention (FDI) Belharra-class frigates, namely HS (Hellenic Ship) Kimon, Nearchos and Formion. The HS (Hellenic Ship) Kimon, which arrived in Greece in January 2026, will be equipped with the CAMCOPTER® S-100 in spring 2026. Another system will be operated from land and used for training, as well as to enhance operator proficiency. The training of the initial Greek CAMCOPTER® S-100 crews is scheduled to be completed in spring 2026. The remaining S-100 systems will be ship-based and deployed from the Hellenic Navy’s Frégate de Défense et d’Intervention (FDI) Belharra-class frigates, namely HS (Hellenic Ship) Nearchos and Formion. HS Nearchos is scheduled for late 2026, while HS Formion is expected to arrive by early 2027. The French Naval Group-built frigates are pre-fitted for the CAMCOPTER® S-100 integration, enabling rapid installation and operational introduction.
Equipped with a Wescam MX-10 EO/IR camera gimbal and an Overwatch Imaging PT-8 Oceanwatch, the S-100 systems will enhance the Hellenic Navy’s frigate fleet operations across a wide range of missions, such as maritime security, search and rescue operations, environmental monitoring, control of the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW). “We are extremely proud that the CAMCOPTER® S-100 is the UAS of choice for the Hellenic Navy. With its proven maritime performance, endurance and payload capacity, the S-100 will provide commanders with extended situational awareness, further enhancing the operational capabilities of the Hellenic Navy’s surface forces”, said Hans Georg Schiebel, Chairman of the Schiebel Group.
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. Its carbon fiber and titanium fuselage provides capacity for a wide range of payload/endurance combinations up to a service ceiling of 5,500 m / 18,000 ft. In a typical configuration, the CAMCOPTER® S-100 carries a 34-kg / 75-lbs payload up to 10 hours and is powered with AVGas or
JP-5 heavy fuel. High-definition payload imagery is transmitted to the control station in real time. In addition to its standard GPS waypoint or manual navigation, the S-100 can successfully operate in environments where GPS is not available, with missions planned and controlled via a simple point-andclick graphical user interface. The high-tech unmanned helicopter is backed by Schiebel’s excellent customer support and training services.
Founded in 1951 in Vienna, the globally operating Schiebel Group focuses on the development, design and production of the revolutionary CAMCOPTER® S-100 and S-300 Unmanned Air Systems (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), Toulon (France), Manassas, VA (USA), Abu Dhabi (UAE), and Shoalhaven (Australia).
