The French Navy has ordered five additional Camcopter S-100 helicopter drones from Austrian manufacturer Schiebel, bringing its total fleet to eight systems.
Each system comprises two Camcopter S-100 uncrewed aerial systems, with deliveries set to begin this year.
The rotorcraft will be integrated onto the navy’s Européennes Multi-Mission (FREMM) frigates by prime contractor and lead system integrator Naval Group.
“The French Navy was among the first European naval forces to operationally integrate the Camcopter S-100 into its shipborne operations,” said Lubos Sramek, director of Schiebel Aéronaval SAS, an S-100 production and maintenance facility in Toulon, France.
S-100 in France
France has operated the S-100 since 2012, initially deploying it aboard the Gowind-class offshore patrol vessel L’Adroit.
In 2019, the system was fielded on the Mistral-class amphibious assault ship Dixmude, marking the first integration of a rotary-wing drone into a European naval combat management system, according to Schiebel.
Two additional S-100s were acquired in 2020 and deployed aboard the Mistral and Tonnerre.
Camcopter S-100
The S-100 provides maritime intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance with a payload capacity of up to 50 kilograms (110 pounds).
It can fly for more than six hours with a 34-kilogram (75-pound) payload, extending to up to 10 hours with an optional external fuel tank.
S-100 has a top speed of 100 knots (185 kilometers/115 miles per hour) and loiters at speeds of 55 knots (102 kilometers/63 miles per hour).
With vertical take-off and landing capability and a maximum take-off weight of 200 kilograms (440 pounds), the S-100 can operate from naval vessels without dedicated launch or recovery systems.
The system has also been selected for deployment aboard the Hellenic Navy’s FDI frigates.