Heavy-Lift VTOL To Support Cross-Domain Logistics Program

The European Defense Agency established the Autonomous Systems for Cross-Domain Logistics (Air and Land) program under the Hub for European Defense Innovation (HEDI) initiative, and has selected Schiebel’s CAMCOPTER S-100 UAS as the heavy-lift component VTOL UAS vehicle. The large-scale initiative is set to hold a collaborative testing exercise in June and July of this year.

The Italian Army will host the exercise that will focus on collaborative experimentation of UAS and UGS or unmanned ground systems. This will consist of several simulated missions, for example last-mile resupply in contested environments.

The CAMCOPTER S-100 was chosen for the Above 50 kg Payload category, and the trials will be run together with two smaller UAS and three UGS.

It is becoming better understood that the role of autonomous systems in modern militaries requires interoperability for operations and logistical support both on land and in the air. As such, more and more organizations are focusing on this area of UAS and UGS capabilities and their functional integration into cohesive elements of combat and support operations.

The HEDI initiative’s goal is to accelerate and streamline the integration of these emerging technologies into military applications through comprehensive and immersive operational field testing in collaborative and agile environments.

Hans Georg Schiebel, Chairman of the Schiebel Group said, “This programme, which is the first of its kind by EDA, closely follows three other tenders won by Schiebel in the European Union, including a new contract for the European Maritime Safety Agency, as well as the European Defence Fund’s SEACURE and OPTIMAS consortiums. With its unrivalled experience, maturity and proven performance, the S-100 is the logical choice and we’re looking forward to showcase our capabilities at the upcoming experimentation.”

FMI:  schiebel.net/