Schiebel has partnered with Patria to enhance the capabilities of the Camcopter S-100 unmanned aircraft system (UAS) to support manned helicopter operations.
As part of the collaboration, the Camcopter S-100 UAS will be equipped with Patria’s compact airborne networking data link (CANDL) communication network.
Schiebel said that Patria’s CANDL provides a solid backbone to explore the benefits of manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) operations, where the combined strengths of each air asset can be optimised to increase overall situational awareness and enhance decision-making.
With a beyond line-of-sight capability out to 200km, the UAS has been designed to operate in day and night, over land and sea, and in any weather condition.
The S-100's carbon fibre and titanium fuselage provides capacity for a wide range of payload/endurance combinations with a service ceiling of up to 18,000ft, according to Schiebel.
Powered with AVGas or JP-5 heavy fuel, the Camcopter can carry a 34kg payload for up to ten hours and its 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 operate in environments where GPS is not available, with missions planned and controlled using a point-and-click graphical user interface.
Image: Schiebel's Camcopter S-100. Photo: courtesy of Schiebel.
