UAS Helo Later Puts On Aerial Display At IDEX In Abu Dhabi

Flight test trials of the Thales’ I-Master radar system have been successfully completed aboard a Schiebel Camcopter S-100 UAS (Unmanned Air System). The flight trials on Camcopter S-100 took place on 7 February 2013 at the Schiebel test facility in Wiener Neustadt, Austria. The flights, each lasting several hours, successfully proved both sensor performance and the stability of data transfer between radar operator and the airborne I-Master.

I-Master is a high-performance radar, providing Ground Moving Target Indication (GMTI) and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) capability for all-weather surveillance, detection and recognition of targets over large areas at long stand-off ranges. Schiebel’s Camcopter S-100 is a proven Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) rotary wing UAS capable of carrying a wide range of sensors for military and civilian applications. “This trial, conducted in partnership with Schiebel, provided excellent GMTI and SAR results," said Eddie Awang, Vice President of Intelligence Surveillance & Reconnaissance at Thales UK. "It shows that I-Master can operate successfully on this VTOL UAV, meeting the specific challenges of unmanned platforms without interference or operational impact."

The I-Master radar integrated easily to Camcopter S-100, proving the flexibility of both the UAV and the radar," said Hans Georg Schiebel, the Schiebel Group’s chairman. "With the I-Master installed, the system performed even above our high expectations and provides invaluable surveillance, detection and recognition capability.”

The Camcopter S-100 equipped with I-Master, provides high-fidelity imagery for classification and positioning of various targets through 360º and can accurately detect and locate moving targets, from fast moving vehicles to individuals at walking pace. This provides an effective asset in operations such as homeland security, border surveillance pipeline security and incident management. Its capabilities were on display at the 2013 IDEX International Defence Exhibition. Schiebel’s presence during the biennial trade show includes daily flight demonstrations, integrated with other air traffic, directly in the city of Abu Dhabi and carried out by Schiebel’s local cooperation partner ADASI (Abu Dhabi Automated Systems Investments), a Tawazun subsidiary.

The Camcopter S-100, designated by the UAE Armed Forces as 'Al Saber', first demonstrated its flight characteristics during IDEX 2011. “ADASI has been supporting deployment of the Al-Saber system on a variety of missions benefitting from the versatility of the S-100” declared Ali Al Yafei, CEO of ADASI. ”The experience acquired by ADASI with the S-100 enables us to offer S-100 services in the region, and permit customers to ramp up quickly in their mission, leveraging on the cumulated experience of ADASI’s team.”

"The Middle East and North African (MENA) UAS market is very strong, we expect the demand for UAVs to continue to increase," said Hans Georg Schiebel. "Schiebel's commitment to the region is reflected by the continued growth of our partnership with ADASI - providing superior value and the most complete line of high-technology unmanned aviation products and services."

(Images provided by Scheibel)

FMI: www.schiebel.net, www.thalesgroup.com/uk