Synergy in Skies: DCNS and Airbus Helicopters Join Forces for the French Navy’s Future VTOL Drone Innovation

Paris, 19 October 2016 – DCNS, a leading player in naval security, alongside Airbus Helicopters, the top manufacturer of helicopters globally, are joining forces to develop the next phase of France’s Naval Aerial Drone (Système de Drones Aériens de la Marine – SDAM) project. By integrating naval and aeronautical capabilities, this collaboration aims to overcome all technical challenges related to the maritime incorporation of drones through the creation of a sturdy system framework that can evolve and adapt to meet diverse requirements.

A Decade of Expertise in Maritime Drone Integration

For DCNS, drones act as the vigilant overseers of the combat system; their operations are coordinated by each vessel’s combat management system, improving real-time efficiency to support maritime missions. Featuring genuine tactical advantage, the VTOL drone is a crucial component of warships, enhancing the operational effectiveness of naval forces.

DCNS CEO Hervé Guillou remarked: “We will continue to innovate in these sectors and empower drones to undertake more complex missions over long distances and durations, all within a collaborative framework augmented by digitalization of assets. This digital transformation relies on implementing cybersecurity solutions that bolster the protection of data and communications between drones and vessels.”

DCNS’s involvement in this partnership will focus on the design and provision of the fully integrated VTOL drone system for warships. DCNS will create and refine solutions for the marine-based operation and merging of the drone, encompassing the specifications and validation of payloads and mission data links. Furthermore, DCNS will develop the drone’s mission system, allowing real-time management of its functions and enabling payload control via the combat management interface.

Over the last ten years, DCNS has successfully managed the French arms procurement agency (DGA) and the French Navy’s key aerial drone research and testing programs, both independently and collaboratively. Throughout this journey, the Group has acquired unparalleled expertise in Europe and holds solutions for integrating aerial drone systems on warships or facilitating their operation from vessels. These solutions have been tested in maritime settings.

The VSR 700: A Versatile and Robust Solution

The VSR700 is a multi-role and cost-effective platform, developed by Airbus Helicopters to provide military clients with a solution that utilizes a proven civil aircraft while attaining the optimal balance between performance, operational flexibility, reliability, and cost-effectiveness. Harnessing autonomous flight technologies tested by Airbus Helicopters during various demonstration projects, the VSR700 is based on the light civil helicopter, the Cabri G2 (created by Hélicoptères Guimbal), demonstrating high reliability and low operational costs in practice.

Under the partnership agreement, Airbus Helicopters is responsible for the design and development of the VSR700 drone, along with diverse technologies essential for executing aerial missions, such as data communication, payload integration, and a “see and avoid” capability to facilitate the drone’s access to controlled airspace.

“Rotary-wing drones are poised to be crucial in future air/sea operational environments, serving as a mobile eye and expanding surface vessels’ operational reach beyond the horizon,” stated Airbus Helicopters CEO Guillaume Faury. “This partnership will combine Airbus Helicopters’ expertise in vertical flight and autonomous technologies with DCNS’s proficiency in naval combat systems, enabling us to meet the evolving needs of our clients.”

With the specifications of the VSR700, the system delivers exceptional endurance and payload capacity compared to any existing systems. This equipment offers significant capabilities within a compact logistical framework, resulting in minimized maintenance and straightforward integration with a variety of surface vessels.