Vienna: Schiebel announced September 10 that it has been selected by MDA Space Ltd., a leading provider of advanced technology and services to the rapidly expanding global space industry, as part of the company’s contract award to equip the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN)’s Halifax class ships with up to six CAMCOPTER® S-100 Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS).
Schiebel will provide the CAMCOPTER® S-100, a maritime-proven solution designed to fully meet the rigorous Royal Canadian Navy’s Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) UAS requirements. As a Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) platform capable to operate day and night in all-weather conditions, it will deliver real-time ISTAR situational awareness out to 100 nautical miles from the ship.
The system supports a comprehensive suite of maritime payloads, including Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) sensors, Maritime Radar, Automatic Identification System (AIS), and Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) transponder technology. The ISTAR UAS project will significantly enhance the RCN’s ability to detect and monitor potential maritime threats, both at home and abroad.
“We are delighted to win this contract and honoured to support the Royal Canadian Navy’s ISTAR capability needs,” said Hans Georg Schiebel, Chairman of the Schiebel Group. “With its operationally proven maturity and ability to integrate multiple sensors required for the demanding maritime domain, the CAMCOPTER® S-100 is ideally suited to meet the Royal Canadian Navy’s evolving requirements for persistent maritime intelligence and situational awareness.”
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-and click graphical user interface. The high-tech unmanned helicopter is backed by Schiebel’s excellent customer support and training services.
