Airbus and the Naval Group demonstrate perfect helicopter drone interoperability on a French frigate.

Ai???s H?lic??t??s ?n? N?v?l G???? h?v? t?i?l?? th? ??????ilit? ?? ? h?lic??t?? ???n? ?????? th? F??nch N?v?’s “P??v?nc?” A??it?in?-cl?ss m?lti-missi?n ??i??t? in th? M??it????n??n S??.

Th? ?ctivit? is ???t ?? F??nc?’s n?v?l ???i?l ???n? s?st?m (SDAM) ??????m t? v?li??t? th? ??????m?nc? ?? shi????n? ?nm?nn?? v?hicl?s with w??shi?s ??? ??t??? m??itim? s??v?ill?nc? ?n? int?lli??nc? missi?ns.

VSR700 ?n? I4D??n? Missi?n S?st?m

D??in? th? ??m?nst??ti?n, th? ?i?ms ???l???? ? VSR700 ???i?l ???n? ??v?l???? ?? Ai???s ?n? th? I4D??n? missi?n s?st?m ?? N?v?l G????.

Th? VSR700 is ??s?? ?n Hélic??tè??s G?im??l’s C???i G2 tw?-s??t?? ?ist?n ?n?in? li?ht ??t??c???t th?t w?s ?i?st int????c?? in 1992.

It h?s ? m?xim?m t?k???? w?i?ht ?? 700 kil????ms (1,500 ???n?s) ?n? c?n int????t? ?? t? th??? ?i?????nt s?ns??s ??? sim?lt?n???s i??nti?ic?ti?n ?n? ??t?cti?n ?????ti?ns.

It is ???i???? with Ai???s’ ?????i?t??? D?ck Fin??? s?st?m t? ?n??l? ???cisi?n ?li?hts with minim?l h?m?n c?nt??l in ????h s?? c?n?iti?ns.

M??nwhil?, N?v?l G????’s I4D??n? missi?n s?st?m is ??si?n?? t? m?n??? ???n?s in c?m?l?x w?????? sc?n??i?s.

This s??tw??? c?v??s ??t?m?t?? missi?n ???????ti?n, ???l??? im?l?m?nt?ti?n ?n? ??t? ?x?l?it?ti?n, ?s w?ll ?s t?sk ???t?cti?n.

Al?n?si?? s????c? v?ss?ls ?n? s??m??in?s, th? I4D??n? s?st?m c?n ?? inst?ll?? in ? l?n?-??s?? c?mm?n? c?nt?? t? ?v??s?? ???n? ?????ti?ns.

P?????ss in SDAM P?????m

Th? F??nch ??v??nm?nt’s SDAM ??????m w?s l??nch?? in 2017. In 2023, $109-milli?n w?s inv?st?? t? ??cilit?t? th? ?isk ????cti?n ?h?s? with th? VSR700.

Onc? ?ll c????s??n?in? t?i?ls ??? c?m?l?t??, th? SDAM initi?tiv? is ?x??ct?? t? ?chi?v? ?????ti?n?l c????ilit? ?? 2026.

“W? ??? ????? t? s?? th?t th? SDAM ?n? th? VSR700 ??? m?t??in?,” Ai???s H?lic??t??s CEO B??n? Ev?n st?t??. “Th? s?st?m th?t w? will ????? will ?? ??l? t? ?????t? ???m ? ??i??t? ?n? ?? ????t?? t? th? n?v?l missi?ns it w?s ??si?n?? ???.”

N?v?l G???? CEO Pi????-E?ic P?mm?ll?t ????? h?w th? M??it????n??n S?? ??m? s??v?? ?s ? “m?j?? st??” t?w??? im???vin? th? F??nch N?v?’s s?? ??min?nc?.

“W? h?v? ??ss?? ? si?ni?ic?nt mil?st?n? in t??ms ?? th? c?m?l?xit? ?? th? int????ti?n ?? ?n ?nm?nn?? ???i?l s?st?m ?n ????? ? h??vil? ??m?? v?ss?l, ??th ?h?sic?ll? ?n? ?????ti?n?ll?,” h? s?i?.

“Th?s? t?i?ls h?v? ?ls? sh?wn th? ??l?v?nc? ?? th? N?v?l G???? I4D??n?s missi?n s?st?m, ?n? th? ??ct th?t th? SDAM ??m?nst??t?? c?n s??ml?ssl? ?? int????t?? ?n ? v?ss?l ?n? will w??k h??m?ni??sl? with ?th?? ?xistin? s?st?ms.”

“In s?n???? with th? shi?’s c?m??t s?st?m ?n? th? ?m???k?? h?lic??t??, th? ???n? will ?? ?n?th?? m??ns t? ?cc?ss c?m?l?m?nt??? ?i?s??c?s ?n? will t??l? ?? ? ??m?t? s?ns?? th?t will ?x??n? th? c??w’s ???c??ti?n ?n? t???tm?nt ?? th???ts in ???l tim?.”