Austrian tech company Schiebel Group has launched a facility in Toulon, southern France, to provide localized support for the French Armed Forces.
The new site, named Schiebel Aéronaval SAS, will house a facility that focuses on the production and maintenance of its Camcopter S-100 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAVs), which have been integrated into Paris’ forces since 2012.
The new facility will also feature a training department open to the drone’s operators and technicians.
Additionally, the company aims for it to become the main European production site for the UAV’s S-300 model.
“Opening a facility in Toulon not only enables us to serve the French Navy better, but also to be closer to our French industrial partners and benefit from the advantages of the region, including direct access to the sea,” Schiebel Aéronaval SAS CEO Lubos Sramek explained.
“We are more than excited about the new opportunities this important step will bring.”
As part of the French aerospace industry, Schiebel is set to work closely with other local companies and open employment opportunities in Toulon.
The S-100 UAV
The Camcopter S-100 is a 110-pound (50-kilogram) drone fitted with a 55-horsepower combustion engine, which allows it to travel in all weather as fast as 140 miles (220 kilometers) per hour.
Its point-and-click control interface allows its users to integrate it into both sea- and land-based surveillance and payload missions.
Its primary military users include Germany, the Maldives, and the US navies.