Norwegian Coast Guard Tests Camcopter North of the Frigid 75th Parallel

Schiebel, working with Andøya Space Defence, recently completed a test of their Camcopter S-100s search and rescue capabilities in a week-long trial aboard the Norwegian Coast Guard's Nordkapp in the frigid northern waters above the 75th parallel. 

The unmanned aircraft was the focus of the week-long program through the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Arctic 2030, designed to sustain Norwegian interests in the inhospitable far north. The UAV demonstrated the utility of similar aircraft for maritime surveillance as part of a greater network of local assets, allowing for far greater situational awareness and survey capabilities compared to traditional manned patrol aircraft in the region. The Camcopter successfully operated throughout the voyage, proving its capabilities in risky adverse weather conditions which could ground manned rotary aircraft. 

The S-100 has built a name for itself, having logged extensive flight hours with more than 40 military customers worldwide. The aircraft does not stray far from a traditional rotorcraft in comparison to lower endurance, lower range, multirotor UAVs. A sleek, long fuselage with main and tail rotors like a traditional helicopter, the evergreen S-100 has been proven in flight from -40º C to +55º C, with altitudes up to 18,000 feet. Its full-fuel 6 hour endurance and 75 lb payload can be further extended for long range and surveillance with external fuel tanks that bring total endurance to 10 hours. The trial aircraft was fully equipped for SAR and maritime patrol, with a Trakka TC-300 EO/IR sensor, Overwatch Imaging PT-8N Oceanwatch, and a Radionor antenna for enhanced data linkage and video feed transmission.

Hans Georg Schiebel, Chairman of the Schiebel Group, said “The Camcopter S-100 is perfect for maritime operations, including in the Arctic or Antarctic. It has proven several times that it can operate in temperatures down to -40 degrees Celsius and under harsh weather conditions. We’re proud to have been able to successfully demonstrate these remarkable capabilities to the Norwegian Coastguard and Navy.”

FMI: www.schiebel.net