U(C)AV ontwikkelingen

[Harald]

Ik had begrepen dat er ook een aparte aanvalsvariant van de MV75 zou komen. Is dat de vervanger voor de AH64 of komt die nog?

https://www.bellflight.com/products/bell-mv-75

inderdaad is daar wel eens over gesproken, maar na het stoppen met het programma ; Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft, de next-generation armed scout helicopter, is hier eigenlijk niks meer over bericht. De Apache met nog jaren mee, maar de MV-75 heeft een veel hogere vliegsnelheid dan een Apache. Dus daar gaat het wel mis als de MV-75 begeleid moet worden op een missie door Apache's. Dus ik denk dat er in de toekomst zeker een bewapende versie komt van de MV-75.

[Benji87]

Ik had begrepen dat er ook een aparte aanvalsvariant van de MV75 zou komen. Is dat de vervanger voor de AH64 of komt die nog?

[Parera]

Boeing Launches New Family Of Tiltrotor Combat Drones



Boeing has announced plans for a family of new, tiltrotor drones that are intended to support existing crewed military helicopters, especially those of the U.S. Army, providing something like an equivalent to the U.S. Air Force's Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA). Indeed, the company describes the drones as "collaborative rotorcraft" and expects them to serve alongside more conventional helicopters undertaking attack, logistics, and other types of missions.

Renderings were revealed today by Boeing at the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) tradeshow. At least two rotary-wing drones are currently projected, both based on a tiltrotor design, drawing upon the company's experience with the proven V-22 Osprey. However, the modular concept means more mission versions of the drones will be possible.

Boeing describes the drones as "completely uninhabited," with no plans for them to be offered as optionally piloted platforms.

In each case, the drone has a high wing and a V-tail. Each will be powered by a single turboshaft engine driving a pair of prop-rotors. Boeing chose this "classic" powerplant option as it considered it the most mature technology, making it easier to get the drones into service rapidly. As part of its evolution, however, other propulsion systems might well be offered in the future, Boeing says, including hybrid electric/gas turbine.

Boeing has said that the drones will likely have a maximum gross weight in the region of 5,000 to 7000 pounds, including a payload in the range of 1,000 to 2,000 pounds, depending on range and specific mission load-out.

Speaking to journalists ahead of AUSA, Chris Speights, chief engineer for Boeing Defense's Vertical Lift division, said the drones will have "relevant range [and] relevant payloads [...] to truly be collaborative," meaning they can keep up with a crewed helicopter's mission profile. The drones will be in the Group 4 or 5 category. Of these, Group 4 encompasses drones weighing over 1,320 pounds, and operating at altitudes usually below 18,000 feet, while Group 5 covers the same weight category, but typically flying above 18,000 feet.

The first of the drones to be described in detail is the CxR, or Collaborative Transformational Rotorcraft. Speights explained: "The idea is that the CxR is a modular core that we can adapt for things like a loyal wingman, collaborative rotorcraft, that would partner with an aircraft like the Apache or even the Little Bird or whatever else you may have."

The CxR would be able to carry various types of effectors and other payloads, including launched effects (LE), which are smaller drones capable of being configured to strike, reconnoiter, and jam targets far from their launch platform. LEs are increasingly seen as being critical to the future survival of combat helicopters, especially when operating in higher-threat areas.

One rendering shows the drone carrying a pair of tubes on stub wings on each side of the fuselage, likely signifying launched effects. Speights outlines Boeing's vision of Apaches, collaborative rotorcraft, and launched effects all working together as "layers of capabilities that we can apply to different situations."

Speights said the CxR's tiltrotor configuration is ideal for missions such as reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition, or RSTA, "where you need very good maneuverability, nap-of-the-earth [flying], hide behind hills, mountains and trees, and have the maneuverability to be able to perform that mission with the level of survivability that's really needed to be successful."

"That would enable it to fully support the types of attack, reconnaissance, and scout missions that the Apache performs," Speights added. "It would be able to carry the payloads that are relevant for Apache-type missions."

While the CxR is currently primarily being pitched as a drone that can operate collaboratively with the Apache, Boeing expects that it will have the relevant speed, range, and endurance to complement the Army's forthcoming MV-75 tiltrotor assault transport as well. With this in mind, the company is targeting a speed in the range of 200 to 250 knots.

At the same time, the CxR will be designed to be expeditionary, so that it can be rapidly deployed aboard fixed-wing C-130 Hercules transports.

A logistics version of the new rotary-wing drone is also being proposed. This is the CLR (Collaborative Logistics Rotorcraft), which would be expected to augment the H-47 Chinook and other logistics platforms, especially in contested environments.

The logistics version of the drone would make use of the CxR's common core, including the propulsion system, "but we would simply replace the modular fuselage portion with something that can support the payload that would complement heavy- and medium-lift needs," Speights explained. "When we think about the speed capability, we believe that being able to rapidly deploy the cargo is what adds value in this case. So we'll get distance, we'll get range, and speed. In a contested logistic environment, that can make all the difference if you're bringing critical munitions to the battle and not risking human life."

Boeing sees the new drones very much in the context of a broader "family of systems" approach, meaning they can work together with a range of platforms used by the U.S. Army and other forces around the world.

In the case of the Apache, in particular, the attack helicopter's ability to work with the planned collaborative rotorcraft will be aided considerably by the fact that being able to control drones is a core part of its existing capability set. The Manned-Unmanned Teaming-Extended (MUMT-X) initiative adds a new rotor mast extension and other hardware that allows Apache pilots to take direct control of the sensors and flight paths of multiple RQ-7B Shadow V2 and MQ-1C Gray Eagle drones, as well as the latter's weapons. You can read more about the MUMT-X here.

As it does now with MUMT-X, an AH-64E working with the CxR would mean the attack helicopter crews would be able to spot, evaluate, and kill targets from dozens of miles away, and do so even by controlling multiple drones at once. The system would presumably also facilitate the transfer of high-bandwidth live video feeds and other forms of data, from the collaborative rotorcraft to the Apaches and to other nodes elsewhere, supporting multiple data connections simultaneously.

The latest AH-64E v6.5 version also features a modular open system architecture (MOSA) approach.

Speights said that the MOSA interface "allows us to bring in either our own or third-party applications and integrate them rapidly within the Apache and work 'under the glass' so it will be seamless, as far as the pilot is concerned. From a safety and a design perspective, we've really been able to isolate that into an adjunct processor that does not have an impact on core vehicle management, flight control, critical mission systems."

Using the latest AH-64E v6.5, Boeing has already demonstrated integration of launched-effect management, not just on a one-to-one basis, but also using swarms of launched effects.

The same kind of approach is planned to be leveraged for the Apache's collaborative rotorcraft 'loyal wingman.'

At this point, the drones are still in the conceptual design phase.

In terms of U.S. Army involvement, Speights said that Boeing is currently "sharing the concepts with the customer so that we can get feedback and tailoring to make sure that we're homing in on the right problem statements and the right needs" for the new collaborative rotorcraft.

Should the Army, or another customer, decide to move forward, Boeing would expect to rely heavily on its Phantom Works team to achieve a "very rapid development cycle," although no precise timeline has been given so far.

Kathleen "KJ" Jolivette, vice president and general manager of Boeing Defense's Vertical Lift division, said that the company wants "to be aligned with the Army as they want to rapidly field capabilities." She also said that she expects the service to have a requirement for "many thousands" of collaborative rotorcraft, which means "the Army's going to need more than one company building this type of capability."

The Army's need for collaborative rotorcraft may also become more urgent based on its ongoing rotary-fleet rationalization effort.

The service plans to shelve a reengining effort for its UH-60 Black Hawks and retire the MQ-1 Gray Eagle drone entirely. The CLR would provide a means of adding logistics capacity to support the UH-60s, while the CxR would appear to be a potential Gray Eagle successor in the RSTA role.

At the same time, the Army's Apache fleet is being realigned, with all AH-64Ds planned for retirement. As part of this process, more capable AH-64Es are being shifted to the National Guard.

This means the Army's active-duty AH-64E numbers will drop from 408 to 240 between fiscal 2025 and fiscal 2026. Here, again, the CxR, or similar collaborative rotorcraft, could provide a means of addressing the deficit.

Outside of the U.S. Army, Boeing still sees strong interest for the AH-64E, with deliveries to three new customers having begun this year alone: Australia, Morocco, and the Indian Army. Meanwhile, Poland is gearing up to become the largest international operator of the Apache, with 96 examples on order.

The "good, solid demand" that Boeing Defense's Mark Ballew, senior director, business development and strategy, Vertical Lift, sees for the Apache on the international marketplace could, in the future, translate to demand for collaborative rotorcraft, too, as a cost-effective way of boosting capabilities, especially in more contested areas of operation.

More broadly, the collaborative rotorcraft concept could help answer some of the questions surrounding the survivability of crewed combat helicopters on future battlefields. Fueled by lessons from the ongoing war in Ukraine, there have been claims that the attack helicopter is irrelevant. While that is arguably overstated, it remains true that armies will need to more closely look at the return on investment for rotary attack, with survivability and employability under real scrutiny. A lower-cost collaborative rotorcraft could be one part of the solution to that emerging challenge. Meanwhile, other concerns around crewed attack helicopters focus on their questionable utility in a very long-range fight in the Pacific. Here, too, rapidly deployable collaborative rotorcraft could play an important role, especially when it comes to operations from remote locales with strictly limited infrastructure and support footprint.

Highly autonomous tactical rotary-wing wing drones are also becoming an area of fast-growing interest, reflected by Boeing's pitching of the new Collaborative Logistics Rotorcraft. Already, entrants in this field include Sikorsky's Nomad family, all using a common tail-sitting design powered by twin proprotors. Rather than being tiltrotors, these employ Sikorsky's 'rotor blown wing' configuration, and the family includes increasingly large aircraft, all the way up to a size broadly equivalent to the Black Hawk. Then there is Bell's V-247 Vigilant, a tiltrotor design that has been offered to the U.S. Navy for its Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) development effort.

While Boeing sees crewed helicopters as being central to its rotary-wing offerings and to U.S. Army capabilities, long into the future, the company's announcement of its collaborative rotorcraft today indicates that it increasingly sees these helicopters being supported, in a range of missions, by their own 'loyal wingmen.'

https://www.twz.com/air/boeing-launches-new-family-of-tiltrotor-combat-drones

[Parera]

[Harald]

     Kan NL niet en/of samen met andere Europeese F-35 gebruikers niet bij dit programma mee gaan doen ? 

Royal Navy Seeks Unmanned Collaborative Partner for F-35Bs

Revealed in a contract for a request for information posted by the British Ministry of Defense, the Royal Navy seeks to acquire a large class of UAVs under "Project Vanquish" to complement it's manned air wings consisting of F-35B Lightning IIs.

Project Vanquish
The contract posted on October 3rd stipulates that the UAV must have un-assissted short take off and landing (STOL) capability from the Royal Navy's two Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers while retaining "credible" payload and endurance. Additional requirements place the UAV as a jet-powered aircraft that is capable of reaching high sub-sonic speeds.

Additional mission requirements given by the Royal Navy dictate that the UAV in question must also be multi-role, with the contract stating that it must be able to perform ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance), strike, and air to air refueling. In conjunction with it's multi-role and carrier borne nature, the UAV is to be able to function autonomously to augment existing capabilities within the Queen Elizabeth-Class's air-wing.

Project Vanquish is meant to field accelerate teaming capabilities on Royal Navy carriers to augment existing aircraft within a relatively short time frame. Corporations taking part are to submit their proposals by mid-November for an 18-month timeline, with a demonstration taking place on a carrier by the end of next year.

Manned and Unmanned Teaming On Carriers

Manned and Unmanned teaming efforts to enhance the reach of carrier air wings have been going on across the world for sometime now, with efforts originating with Northrop Grumman's X-47B fielded by the U.S Navy in the early 2000s. However, the X-47B was only to serve as demonstrator, paving the way for future efforts such as Boeing's MQ-25 Stingray.

The MQ-25 itself was more purpose built as a tanker meant to extend the reach of U.S Navy carrier-based aviation, with the Stingray also being the predecessor to for future unmanned efforts in the U.S Navy, providing a proof of concept in it's 2021 flight tests.

Current efforts to field a multi-role and combat capable collaborative aircraft have reached a fever pitch, with the United States Air Force's Collaborative Combat Aircraft program narrowed down to two proposals made by Anduril and General Atomics. Similar efforts in Turkey have been covered by Naval News, with the drone carrier TCG Anadolu slated to carry large collaborative UCAVs such as BAYRAKTAR's KIZILELMA.

Unmanned aircraft have graced the decks of Royal Navy carriers in the past, with Naval News covering the launch of a Mojave UAV from HMS Prince of Wales as a part of ongoing efforts to prove the concept viable. However, the Royal Navy's Queen Elizabeth class carriers present unique circumstances for any heavier and faster aircraft due to the lack of arresting wires to "catch" and slow any efforts made to land, requiring a workaround such as that found in the Vertical Landing capability of the F-35B.

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2025/10/royal-navy-seeks-unmanned-collaborative-partner-for-f-35bs/


NORFOLK, Va. (Nov. 10, 2021) The U.S. Navy and Boeing conducted ground testing of the MQ-25 Stingray at Chambers Field onboard Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia. The MQ-25 Stingray is an unmanned aerial refueling aircraft.

[Harald]

Sikorsky flies rotor blown wing UAV in VTOL and horizontal flight modes

Lockheed Martin's Sikorsky has successfully validated the advanced control laws to successfully fly a 'rotor blown wing' unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in both helicopter and airplane modes, Lockheed Martin announced on 10 March 2025.

Powered by batteries, the 52 kg twin prop UAV prototype, which has a 3 m wingspan, has demonstrated operational stability and manoeuvrability across all flight regimes, along with the potential to scale the unique vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) design to larger sizes requiring hybrid-electric propulsion.

"Combining helicopter and airplane flight characteristics onto a flying wing reflects Sikorsky's drive to innovate next-generation VTOL UAS aircraft that can fly faster and farther than traditional helicopters," Sikorsky Vice President and General Manager Rich Benton was quoted as saying in a company press release. "Our rotor blown wing platform is a prime example how we are leveraging the breadth of our 102-year aviation heritage to develop new designs that meet the emerging missions of commercial and military operators."


Sikorsky's rotor blown wing UAV prototype in horizontal flight mode

Sikorsky Innovations, the company's rapid prototyping group, is heading up the effort to develop and mature the rotor blown wing design. In just over a year Sikorsky Innovations has progressed through preliminary design, simulation, tethered and untethered flight to gather aerodynamic and flight control data.

The latest breakthrough was achieved in January 2025 when Sikorsky Innovations successfully completed more than 40 take-offs and landings with its prototype. Notably, the aircraft performed 30 transitions between helicopter and airplane modes: design's most complex manouevre. In horizontal flight mode the aircraft reached a top cruise speed of 86 kts (159 km/h). Simultaneous wind tunnel tests were conducted on a 1:1 scale model, providing valuable validation of the newly developed control laws by correlating them with real-world experimental data.

"Our rotor blown wing has demonstrated the control power and unique handling qualities necessary to transition repeatedly and predictably from a hover to high-speed wing-borne cruise flight and back again," said Sikorsky Innovations Director Igor Cherepinsky. "New control laws were required for this transition manoeuvre to work seamlessly and efficiently. The data indicates we can operate from pitching ships' decks and unprepared ground when scaled to much larger sizes."

Applications of future rotor blown wing UAVs, according to Sikorsky, include search and rescue, firefighting monitoring, humanitarian response, and pipeline surveillance. Large variants will enable long-range intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions and crewed/uncrewed teaming operations.

All rotor blown wing variants will include Sikorsky's Matrix flight autonomy system to navigate the aircraft during flight.

The rotor blown wing design is one of a future family of systems in development by Sikorsky that will include winged VTOL UAVs and single main rotor aircraft.

Also in development by Sikorsky is a 1.2 megawatt hybrid-electric demonstrator (HEX) configured with a tilt wing and a fuselage to carry passengers or cargo across long distances. A HEX power system test bed is expected to demonstrate a hover capability in 2027.

https://euro-sd.com/2025/03/major-news/42988/sikorsky-rotor-blown-wing-uav/

[Harald]

Sikorsky Unveils Nomad Family Of Scalable VTOL Drones

ikorsky has announced a whole family of vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) drones, all using a common tail-sitting design powered by twin proprotors. While the company has previously showcased and flight-tested this 'rotor blown wing' configuration, the new Nomad family includes increasingly large aircraft, all the way up to a size broadly equivalent to the S-70 Black Hawk medium-lift helicopter and intended for a variety of naval and land-based missions.

Hieronder de link naar het volledige artikel
https://www.twz.com/air/sikorsky-unveils-nomad-family-of-scalable-vtol-drones

Echt interessant!!
Kunnen ze dit niet in NL produceren 

[Parera]

Sikorsky Unveils Nomad Family Of Scalable VTOL Drones

ikorsky has announced a whole family of vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) drones, all using a common tail-sitting design powered by twin proprotors. While the company has previously showcased and flight-tested this 'rotor blown wing' configuration, the new Nomad family includes increasingly large aircraft, all the way up to a size broadly equivalent to the S-70 Black Hawk medium-lift helicopter and intended for a variety of naval and land-based missions.

Hieronder de link naar het volledige artikel
https://www.twz.com/air/sikorsky-unveils-nomad-family-of-scalable-vtol-drones

[Harald]

Helsing's CA-1 Drone Is An MQ-28 Ghost Bat Lookalike

The German startup has presented its CA-1 Europa, the latest in a line of loyal wingman-type drones pitched to European air forces.

German defense startup Helsing has unveiled a new uncrewed combat air vehicle (UCAV), the CA-1 Europa. The company is targeting a first flight in 2027 for the UCAV, which looks very similar to the MQ-28 Ghost Bat. Boeing's Australian subsidiary developed Ghost Bat first as a 'loyal wingman' drone for the Royal Australian Air Force, under the Airpower Teaming System. The U.S. Air Force has also now acquired at least one example ostensibly to support research and development and test and evaluation efforts.

A full-size mockup of the single-engined CA-1 (Combat Aircraft 1) was presented today at Helsing's Tussenhausen facility in Bavaria. The basic shape of the UCAV's angular fuselage, dogtooth-type wing, side-mounted intakes, and V-tail all strongly echo the MQ-28. However, it's a configuration that has meanwhile been adopted for other drones, too. The Helsing drone has a weight of around 8,800 pounds and a length of around 36 feet, also very similar to the MQ-28, and both share tricycle landing gear for operations from conventional runways.

.../...

https://www.twz.com/air/helsings-ca-1-drone-is-an-mq-28-ghost-bat-lookalike

full-size mockup of the CA-1 (Combat Aircraft 1)


MQ-28 Ghost Bat

[Harald]

Helsing toont onbemande stealth-jachtbommenwerper CA-1 Europa

Helsing, een Europees defensietechnologiebedrijf dat zich richt op kunstmatige intelligentie (AI), onthulde vandaag tijdens een mediadag zijn nieuwe onbemande stealth-bommenwerper CA-1 Europa, ontworpen om doelen diep in vijandelijk gebied op lage hoogte aan te vallen. De presentatie vond plaats op het terrein van Helsings dochteronderneming Grob Aircraft in Tussenhausen, in aanwezigheid van de Beierse minister-president Markus Söder. Helsing nam luchtvaartspecialist Grob enkele maanden geleden over.

CA-1 staat voor Combat Aircraft 1 en is het resultaat van een ontwerpconcept dat volgens het bedrijf in minder dan 14 weken is ontworpen en gebouwd. Er worden nu honderden miljoenen euro's geïnvesteerd om het systeem de lucht in te krijgen. De eerste vlucht van het systeem is gepland voor 2027. Om dit doel te bereiken, is op het terrein van Tussenhausen een containerdorp gebouwd, waar binnenkort talloze nieuwe ingenieurs hun intrek zullen nemen om de verdere ontwikkeling van het vliegtuig zo snel mogelijk te laten verlopen.

Het bedrijf weigerde op dit moment veel details te onthullen over de technische mogelijkheden van de jachtbommenwerper. Zo hebben ze al een motor geselecteerd, maar willen ze de naam ervan nog niet bekendmaken. Met deze motor zou de CA-1 Europa snelheden net onder de geluidssnelheid kunnen bereiken. De lengte wordt gesteld op 11 meter en het maximale startgewicht op 4 ton. Aangezien het bedrijf herhaaldelijk de Europese soevereiniteit benadrukt, in combinatie met het genoemde maximale startgewicht, mag worden aangenomen dat het hier gaat om een ��motor voor zakenjets van een Europese fabrikant

Helsing beschouwt de voltooiing van de ontwerpstudie voor het CA-1 Europa-platform als een belangrijke stap in de richting van de operationele capaciteit van het onbemande luchtgevechtssysteem, dat is ontworpen met een softwaregerichte aanpak. Het idee is dat het gebruik van complexe software het gebruik van eenvoudige hardware mogelijk moet maken en uiteindelijk krachtige systemen moet opleveren. Dit moet een "intelligente massa" creëren die systeemverliezen snel en eenvoudig kan compenseren. Een enkele CA-1 zal naar verwachting slechts een "fractie" kosten van een bemand gevechtsvliegtuig. Het bedrijf weigerde het kostenkader te specificeren.

De CA-1 Europa is ontworpen als een open missiesysteem en beschikt over een modulaire hardwarestructuur. De softwarearchitectuur is inherent open en schaalbaar. "De CA-1 Europa maakt gebruik van een geavanceerd softwarebesturingssysteem dat de flexibele integratie van sensoren, zelfbeschermingssystemen, wapens en andere software mogelijk maakt. Helsing zal ook een commando- en controlesysteem leveren dat operators ondersteunt bij het plannen, besturen en monitoren van systemen in complexe autonome missies. Het platform wordt bestuurd door Helsing's AI-piloot, Centaur. De CA-1 Europa is geschikt voor diverse missies, waaronder het nauwkeurig aanvallen van doelen diep in de vijandelijke ruimte", aldus het bedrijf in een verklaring.

Sensoren en effecten zouden bijvoorbeeld uitwisselbaar moeten zijn. Het uiteindelijke ontwikkelingsdoel is de productie van een onbemand gevechtsvliegtuig, dat in combinatie met bemande systemen of onafhankelijk kan worden gebruikt. Mogelijke missies zijn onder andere verkenningsmissies, elektronische oorlogsvoering en lucht-lucht- en lucht-grondaanvalsmissies.

Volgens Helsing zal de assertiviteit van het systeem voornamelijk te danken zijn aan de mogelijkheden op lage hoogte en in zwermvluchten. Het platform beschikt ook over stealth-elementen, zoals interne wapenruimtes en een intern intrekbaar landingsgestel.

Op basis van de omvang van de wapenruimte en het maximale startgewicht kan worden gespeculeerd dat de laadcapaciteit ongeveer een halve ton zal bedragen.

Het bedrijf weigerde informatie te verstrekken over het bereik van het systeem. De mogelijkheid om tijdens de vlucht bij te tanken en externe wapens of tanks te monteren is niet duidelijk, dus het bereik van het vliegtuig wordt waarschijnlijk uitsluitend beperkt door de interne brandstofvoorziening. Op basis van de ontwerpkenmerken en het feit dat het systeem bedoeld is om op lage hoogte (hoger brandstofverbruik) te werken en terug te keren, kan het effectieve bereik ruwweg worden geschat op ongeveer 1000 km.

https://share.google/iN9qjhBfcbbNwWxta

https://esut.de/2025/09/meldungen/63763/helsing-praesentiert-designstudie-ca-1-Europa/

[Benji87]

Skunk Works Unveils Vectis Air Combat Drone That Puts A Premium On Stealth
Lockheed's new Collaborative Combat Aircraft, targeted to fly in two years, reflects a higher-end approach compared to types the USAF has selected so far.



Lockheed Martin's famed Skunk Works advanced projects division has lifted the lid on a new, higher-end stealthy Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) type drone named Vectis. The uncrewed aircraft is designed to be highly adaptable to an operator's requirements, whether they be in the United States or elsewhere around the world, and is expected to fly within two years. Vectis notably follows Skunk Works' failed 'gold-plated' high-stealth bid for the first phase of the U.S. Air Force's CCA program, but still puts above-average emphasis on survivability compared to the other designs that service is now testing.

Bron: https://www.twz.com/air/skunk-works-unveils-vectis-air-combat-drone-that-puts-a-premium-on-stealth
(Artikel bevat teveel Twitter verwijzingen en video's voor DF)

[Harald]

Schiebel Defence Announces Strike-Oriented S-101 And S-301 H-Rotorcraft Drones

During DSEI UK 2025, Schiebel announced the development of two new armed rotary-wing unmanned air systems, the CAMCOPTER S-101 and S-301. These platforms are being designed from the outset for weapon integration and are intended to expand the company's long-standing Camcopter family into the armed UAS segment. The announcement reflects the increasing global demand for unmanned aircraft capable of carrying out both surveillance and strike missions in contested environments. For armed forces, this development signals the arrival of systems tailored to persistent tactical operations with stand-off precision engagement options.

The CAMCOPTER S-101 and S-301 are based on the proven S-100 lineage but feature refined architectures optimised for weaponisation, modular sensor integration and military-grade avionics. Development is managed by Schiebel Defence GmbH, a subsidiary established in Wiener Neustadt, Austria, dedicated exclusively to weaponised UAS. The S-300 family, to which the S-301 belongs, is designed with a payload capacity of around 250 kg compared with the S-100's 50 kg, allowing for combinations of advanced EO/IR sensors, laser designators, compact radars and armament such as Thales FZ605 launchers loaded with FZ275 MOD 4 laser-guided rockets, offering engagement ranges up to 7 km. Industry discussions also point to the potential integration of multiple lightweight missiles such as Martlet/LMM, creating a scalable rotary-wing sensor-to-shooter system for tactical forces.

The new systems build on the operational history of the S-100, widely used for ISR missions at sea and on land. The Royal Navy, for example, operates the S-100 as the Peregrine under the UK FTUAS programme, where it embarks radar and electro-optical payloads to extend a ship's surveillance horizon and cue targeting. However, its 50 kg payload limits the scope for armament. By contrast, the S-101 and S-301 are being developed to provide a significant increase in payload and mission flexibility, moving beyond surveillance toward organic strike capability while retaining the vertical take-off and shipborne suitability of a rotary platform.

Compared to existing tactical UAS, the S-101 and S-301's advantage lies in their ability to integrate both sensors and precision weapons within a single platform. While fixed-wing UAS generally offer greater endurance, they are more challenging to operate from naval vessels and confined areas. The rotary-wing configuration of the S-101 and S-301 addresses this gap, providing navies and armies with persistent surveillance, rapid sensor repositioning and the option of engaging targets at tactical ranges. The trade-off will be in endurance when configured for strike missions, but the increased payload capacity significantly broadens operational flexibility compared to the earlier S-100.

Strategically, the development of these new armed Camcopters reflects the accelerating shift toward distributed, unmanned strike capabilities at tactical level. For navies, they represent a cost-effective way to extend surveillance and strike reach without deploying manned aircraft. For land forces, they provide an organic precision fires option against asymmetric and conventional threats alike. Geopolitically, such systems are likely to attract interest from partners facing contested littoral environments, while raising broader questions about how armed unmanned platforms are integrated into coalition operations and escalation management.

The announcement of the S-101 and S-301 highlights Schiebel's expansion into the armed UAS sector. Still in development, these systems are intended to combine persistence, flexibility and precision strike, positioning Schiebel to meet the growing demand for distributed lethality. Their evolution will be closely followed by armed forces seeking reliable rotary-wing platforms capable of operating effectively in contested multi-domain environments.

https://www.armyrecognition.com/news/aerospace-news/2025/schiebel-defence-announces-strike-oriented-s-101-s-301-h-rotorcraft-drones

[Ace1]

Turgis Gaillard stuurt drone voor het eerste bemand de lucht in

BLOIS – Het Franse bedrijf Turgis Gaillard heeft een eerste testvlucht uitgevoerd met de Aarok, een opmerkelijk grote MALE (Medium Altitude Long Endurance) gevechtsdrone die door Turgis ontwikkeld en zelf gefinancierd is. Hoewel de drone op termijn onbemand moet gaan opereren, zat er tijdens de eerste testvlucht op 9 september wel een piloot in de cockpit

De Aarok is ontworpen om te voldoen aan de eisen van Franse en geallieerde strijdkrachten met een grote drone die in staat is tot inlichtingen-, bewaking- en verkenningsmissies, evenals aanvalsoperaties. Het toestel heeft een MTOM van 5.500 kg en kan 24 uur onafgebroken vliegen op FL300 (9.144 m) waarbij een 1.200 pk sterke PT6A-T turboprop voor de aandrijving zorgt.

De Aarok wordt gepositioneerd als een Europees alternatief voor de MQ-9 Reaper uit de VS. Het project geniet inmiddels ook de steun van het Franse Ministerie van Defensie. Die steun werd geformaliseerd tijdens de Paris Air Show 2025, toen het Franse directoraat-generaal voor bewapening (DGA) een financiële bijdrage aankondigde.

https://www.pilootenvliegtuig.nl/militair/turgis-gaillard-stuurt-drone-voor-het-eerste-bemand-de-lucht-in/

[Parera]

MQ-28 Ghost Bat With Aerial Refueling Capability Hinted At By Boeing



A recent computer-generated video from Boeing includes MQ-28 Ghost Bat drones with apparent receptacles on top of their fuselages to allow for aerial refueling from boom-equipped tankers. Mid-air refueling capability would extend the MQ-28's reach and on-station time, but would also add complexity and cost to the design.

Boeing released the video in question, seen below, last week. It is primarily intended to tout the ability of the company's new F-15EX Eagle II fighter to act as an airborne drone controller, a role the two-seat jet is well-suited to, as TWZ has been highlighting for years now. Boeing is now reportedly actively pitching MQ-28 to Poland in combination with a possible purchase of F-15EXs.

https://www.twz.com/air/mq-28-ghost-bats-with-aerial-refueling-capability-hinted-at-by-boeing

[Ace1]

Meer info over de Bussard.

Na het zien van dit kom ik tot de conclusie buy made in europe.

https://www.avilus.com/solution/bussard