Large Scale Exercise

The U.S. Navy/Marine Corps Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) successfully hit its target in support of Marine Corps Forces, Pacific, during Large Scale Exercise 21 (LSE 21) August 15, 2021. The exercise showcased the U.S. maritime forces’ ability to deliver lethal, integrated all-domain naval power.

NMESIS
KAUAI, Hawaii – A Naval Strike Missile streaks out to sea before striking a naval target ship, August 15, 2021, aboard Pacific Missile Range Facility Barking Sands, Hawaii. The missile flew more than 100 nautical miles/115 miles/185 km before finding its mark. The live-fire sinking exercise demonstrated a Marine fires expeditionary advanced base’s ability to sense, target and strike a target at sea, providing sea control or contributing to sea denial in fleet operations. The Marine Corps’ Force Design 2030 centers on Marines providing long-range precision strike capabilities as a stand-in force during littoral operations in a contested environment (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Corporal Dillon Buck, released)

LSE 21 was a live, virtual and constructive scenario-driven, globally-integrated exercise with activities spanning 17 time zones. LSE 21 applied and assessed developmental warfighting concepts that will define how the future U.S. Navy and Marine Corps compete, respond to crises, fight and win in conflict.

The Marine Corps’ NMESIS will provide the Marine Littoral Regiment with ground based anti-ship capability to facilitate sea denial and control while persisting within the enemy’s weapons engagement-zone, and LSE 21 provided a venue for the program team to validate some of those concepts.

«This scenario is representative of the real-world challenges and missions the Navy and Marine Corps will be facing together in the future», said Brigadier General A.J. Pasagian, commander of Marine Corps Systems Command (MCSC). «This exercise also provided an opportunity for us to work alongside our service partners to refine Force Design 2030 modernization concepts».

SINKEX, the exercise scenario involving NMESIS, provided a testing environment for new and developing technologies to connect, locate, identify, target and destroy adversary threats in all domains, culminating in the live-fire demonstration of the naval strike missile against a sea-based target. During the exercise, forward-deployed forces on expeditionary advanced bases detected and, after joint command and control collaboration with other U.S. forces, responded to a ship-based adversary. Simultaneous impacts from multiple, dispersed weapons systems and platforms across different U.S. services – including NMESIS – engaged the threat.

NMESIS integrates established, proven sub-systems, such as the Joint Lightweight Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) Chassis, the Naval Strike Missile (NSM) and the Fire Control System used by the Navy for NSM.

«From an acquisition perspective, NMESIS started a little over two years ago», said Joe McPherson, long range fires program manager at MCSC. «We’ve been able to rapidly move on developing and fielding this system because we’re leveraging existing NSM and JLTV subsystems».

Because NMESIS is not yet a fielded capability, engineers from MCSC managed the fire control piece of the system during the exercise. Marines, however, were able to practice maneuvering the system and validating the system’s interoperability with their Naval and Air Force partners.

«This week was very successful», said McPherson. «In addition to the two live fire shots that hit the target, we also successfully deployed the system aboard the Marine Corps’ primary transport systems, the C130 Hercules and Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC)».

Though not associated with its program development, the NMESIS transportability and mobility demonstration serves an important role in developing tactics, techniques and procedures related to this critical capability, said McPherson.

MCSC is developing and fielding new anti-surface warfare weapons capabilities, including NMESIS, on pace to support Force Design 2030 objectives. These new capabilities contribute to the Fleet’s ability to achieve sea control, sea denial and defense against adversary amphibious force missions.

«This exercise gave us an opportunity to not only measure, but also validate the concepts for the Marine Corps’ anti-ship capability, which is one of the most important avenues of the Commandant’s Force Design 2030», said Lieutenant Colonel Ryan Collins, combat integration office for artillery and fires at Marine Corps Combat Development Directorate, Combat Development and Integration. «I think the successful launches of the missile will help us clarify the path forward as we move to fulfill the Commandant’s 2030 vision, and giving the Marine Corps a transformative anti-ship capability».

Exercises such as LSE 21 increase maritime interoperability and the ability to project American power at home and around the world.

NMESIS
Marine Corps successfully demonstrates NMESIS during LSE 21

Air Warfare Destroyers

The Royal Australian Navy’s most advanced warships are now ready for operational deployment, boosting Australia’s capacity to work with our strategic partners and maintain peace and prosperity in our region.

Air Warfare Destroyers
HMA Ships Hobart, Brisbane and Sydney conduct officer-of-the-watch manoeuvres in the Eastern Australian Exercise Area (Photo: Peter Beeh)

Navy’s Hobart-class Air Warfare Destroyers have reached final operational capability after the third ship, HMAS Sydney (DDG-42), completed a successful test and evaluation period off the coast of the U.S. and Canada.

Chief of the Royal Australian Navy Vice Admiral Michael Noonan said the milestone ushered in a new era for Navy.

«Navy’s three Hobart-class destroyers use a number of systems in common with the U.S. Navy, which allows our ships to be fully interchangeable with the most advanced allied naval force in the Indo-Pacific region», Vice Admiral Noonan said. «Australian destroyers are a key contribution to the Australia-United States alliance and will be employed in maintaining the peace and prosperity of our region for the next 30 years. Due to the ever-changing strategic environment, the Hobart class will continue to be upgraded with the latest weapons and sensors over coming years in order to maintain a capability edge».

About 5000 skilled Australians have worked for or on the Air Warfare Destroyer program over the past decade, and more than 2700 different suppliers were involved in Sydney’s construction.

HMAS Sydney (DDG-42) returned to Australia in July after a successful test period, which included missile firings against low-altitude and supersonic targets.

Vice Admiral Noonan said the Hobart-class Air Warfare Destroyers were the most capable warships in Australia’s naval history.

«They are equipped with layered defensive and offensive capabilities for above water, surface and undersea warfare,” he said. «Our destroyers are a force multiplier for the Australian Defence Force and a key element of the Joint Force Integrated Air and Missile Defence capability».

 

Characteristics

Length 481.3 feet/146.7 m
Beam 61 feet/18.6 m
Draft 23.6 feet/7.2 m
Full load displacement 7,000 tonnes
Main Engine 36 MW/48,276 hp
Top speed 28+ knots/32 mph/52 km/h
Range at 18+ knots/21 mph/33 km/h 5,000+ NM/5,779 miles/9,300 km
Crew 186
Accommodation 234
Combat System Aegis Weapon System Baseline 7.1
AN/SPY-1D(V) Phased Array Radar (81 NM/93 miles/150 km)
AN/SPQ-9B Horizon Search Radar
Mk-41 Vertical Launch System (48 VLS cells: RIM-162 Evolved SeaSparrow Missile (ESSM)/Standard Missile-2 (SM-2)/SM-6)
Mk-45 Mod.4 5” (127-mm) 62 Calibre Gun (Range: 20 NM/23 miles/37 km)
Advanced Harpoon Weapon Control (2 × 4 launchers)
Electronic Warfare (EW) Suite
Very Short Range Air and Surface Defence
Nulka Active Missile Decoy system
Integrated Sonar System incorporating a hull mounted and towed array sonar
Communications Suite
Aviation Flightdeck and hangar for one helicopter
Boats Two Rigid Hulled Inflatable Boats (RHIBs)

 

Quantum Laboratory

The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is now designated as the Quantum Information Science (QIS) Research Center for the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force.

QIS (Quantum Information Science)
Shown is a cryogenic refrigerator installed in the Quantum Information and Sciences Laboratory at the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Information Directorate in Rome, New York. The device is used by AFRL researchers to measure the energy and coherence times of superconducting quantum bits, known as qubits, two important characteristics that determine how long qubits can retain quantum information (Courtesy photo)

This designation, signed by then Acting Secretary of the Air Force John P. Roth in an April 23 memorandum, gives AFRL the authority to achieve faster military capability based on quantum information science, said AFRL commander Major General Heather Pringle.

«AFRL is extremely proud, and has been long-recognized at the national level for its deep technical expertise in QIS with far-ranging applications including clocks and sensors for quantum-enhanced positioning, navigation and timing, quantum communications and networks, and quantum computing», Pringle said. «This designation allows AFRL to expand its collaborations across government, industry and academia, further accelerating the research, development and deployment of quantum technologies».

To support these efforts, AFRL’s Information Directorate, located at Rome, New York, will receive fiscal year 2020 funds, granted under the Defense Quantum Information Science Research and Development Program and in accordance with the National Defense Authorization Act. The funds help the Rome Lab obtain partnerships to gain further knowledge from worldwide leaders in quantum science application, said Doctor Michael Hayduk, Information Directorate deputy director.

«With this designation, AFRL fully intends to further advance the application of quantum technologies across the Department of the Air Force», Hayduk said. «AFRL will expand its global network of QIS collaborators by tapping into both industrial and university expertise. These partnerships are critical in not only accelerating the deployment of QIS technologies but also in developing the future workforce needed to meet emerging national security challenges».

KSS III class submarine

According to information published by Naval News on August 13, 2021, the ceremony for the handover, acquisition and commissioning of the Republic of Korea Navy’s submarine ROKS Dosan Ahn Changho (SS-083) held at the Okpo shipyard of Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering in Geoje, Gyeongsangnam-do Province. The vessel is the nation’s first in the 3,000-ton class designed and built with domestic technology.

ROKS Dosan Ahn Changho (SS-083)
ROK Navy Commissions Her First KSS III Submarine

The Dosan Ahn Changho-class submarines are the final phase of the Korean Attack Submarine program, a three-phased program to build 27 attack submarines for the Republic of Korea Navy between 1994 and 2029. The lead vessel, ROKS Dosan Ahn Changho (SS-083), was launched in 2018. It began sea trials in 2019 and planned to be ready for service by 2020.

The 83.5-meter-long/274-fot-long and 9.6-meter-wide/31.5-foot-wide submarine can carry 50 crewmembers and can operate underwater for 20 days without surfacing.

The new class has a submarine version of the Korean Vertical Launching System which will be able to carry up to ten indigenous «Chonryong» land-attack cruise missiles and «Hyunmoo» Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missiles (SLBM), becoming the first submarine in the South Korean navy to have this kind of capability. It also has many other improvements compared to its predecessors built with a greater degree of South Korean technology, especially in the later batches, which will include Samsung SDI lithium-ion batteries.

A Lithium-Ion Battery (abbreviated as LIB) is a type of rechargeable battery. Lithium-ion batteries are commonly used for portable electronics and electric vehicles and are growing in popularity for military and aerospace applications. Research areas for lithium-ion batteries include extending lifetime, increasing energy density, improving safety, reducing cost, and increasing charging speed, among others. Research has been underway in the area of non-flammable electrolytes as a pathway to increased safety based on the flammability and volatility of the organic solvents used in the typical electrolyte.

Landing Helicopter Dock

According to Navy Recognition, the new Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) ITS Trieste (L9890) for the Italian Navy conducts sea trials on August 13, 2021.

ITS Trieste (L9890)
Future Italian Navy Amphibious Landing Ship ITS Trieste (L9890) on sea trials off of Naples, Italy – August 13, 2021

The LHD ITS Trieste (L9890) was officially launched on May 25, 2019, at the Fincantieri shipyard in Castellammare di Stabia, in the presence of the President of the Italian Republic Sergio Mattarella, welcomed by Fincantieri’s Chairman Giampiero Massolo and CEO Giuseppe Bono. It is expected to be commissioned in June 2022.

Thanks to her characteristics in terms of construction and weapon systems, the LHD ITS Trieste (L9890) will be able to project – in crisis areas – the landing force of the Italian Navy and support the Defence national capability projection from the sea, as well as ensure the strategic transport of vehicles, personnel and equipment, and to support the Civil Protection in providing assistance to countries and populations in case of natural disasters, thanks to her capability to provide drinking water, power supply, healthcare, and medical support.

The LHD ITS Trieste (L9890) will be the largest vessel of the Italian Navy. The ship will have an overall length of 245 m/803.8 feet, a beam of 47 m/154.2 feet, a depth of 7.2 m/23.6 feet, and a fully loaded displacement of 33,000 tons. The ship will be powered by a COmbined Diesel eLectric Or Gas (CODLOG) propulsion system and an additional electric propulsion system to be used for low-speed sailing. The propulsion system will include two Rolls-Royce MT30 gas turbines providing 102,000 hp/76 MW, two MAN 20V32/44CR diesel engines, four diesel engines generators MAN 9L32/44CR, developing 28,110 hp/21 MW, two 2,250 kW/3,020 hp electric engines, and two shafts. She will be able to reach a top speed of 25 knots (46 km/h) with a maximum cruising range of 7,000 nautical miles/8,078 miles/13,000 km at 16 knots/18.4 mph/30 km/h.

The ship will be able to operate up to 12 medium helicopters AgustaWestland AW101 or NH90 naval helicopters or a combination of naval helicopters or Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II fighter aircraft.

With over 1,000 sleeping accommodations, the new LHD ITS Trieste (L9890) will feature a 230-meter-long/754.6-foot-long helicopter flight deck, allowing the operation of a battalion consisting of 600 personnel, and a dock garage for 1,200 linear meters of wheeled and tracked vehicles, both civilian and military.

The floodable dock of 50 m/164 feet long and 15 m/49 feet wide will enable the LHD ITS Trieste (L9890) to deploy the most technically advanced amphibious equipment and vehicles of EU and NATO Navies.

The different areas of cargo securing are accessible through cranes, stern and side ramps and cargo handling will be managed by internal ramps and elevators.

A fully equipped hospital will also be available onboard, complete with operating rooms, radiology and analysis rooms, a dentist’s office, and patient rooms capable of hosting 27 seriously injured patients.

FARA Prototype

Bell Textron Inc., a Textron Inc. company, has released new data on the build and testing for the Bell 360 Invictus competitive prototype. The Bell 360 program is rapidly progressing through manufacturing, assembly, components testing, and systems integration work for the U.S. Army’s Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) program. The team has completed multiple design and risk reviews with the Army and is on schedule for all program requirements. The Bell 360, a low-risk, high-speed platform with proven technology and inherently reliable designs, will deliver soldiers transformational operational capabilities at an affordable cost.

Bell 360 Invictus
Bell and Team Invictus are combining industry-leading technology with digital processes to improve manufacturing, testing, and integration schedules to deliver a high-performance attack and reconnaissance aircraft

«This team is achieving great results responding to requirements, reducing programmatic risk, and delivering state-of-the-art capabilities for the Army», said Chris Gehler, vice president and program director for the Bell 360 Invictus. «We are combining Bell’s unique knowledge of the demands placed on scout aircraft with engineering and technical expertise to give the Army a weapon system to dominate attack reconnaissance missions for decades to come».

Since beginning the build in late 2020, Bell has made significant progress on the Bell 360 Invictus fuselage, main rotor blades, gearbox assembly, cases, and other high-value components. By implementing a design-as-built methodology that digitally connects the entire program throughout its lifecycle, Bell has increased its ability to collaborate in real-time with program partners and the Army. This method accelerates decision-making among distributed teams using a common, secure data environment that creates a singular source of data for the program leading to reduced assembly, rework time and cost.

Along with assembling the Bell 360 Invictus, high-value components such as the main rotor gearbox, driveshafts and couplings are being tested at Bell’s Drive Systems Test Lab (DSTL). The DSTL is used to carry out risk-reduction efforts that ensure the program has accurate and verified data to qualify components in advance of flight test.

A new FARA-specific Systems Integration Lab (SIL) is also operational at Bell. This facility allows Bell to integrate flight-critical components, software, and mission systems for testing, verification, and validation of functionality before they take flight on an actual aircraft. This approach reduces technical risk and aids in the safe, rapid, and efficient execution of flight test program.

«The Bell 360 Invictus is an exciting aircraft that brings sophisticated digital systems together in a high-speed, reliable, maintainable vehicle for austere environments around the world», said Jayme Gonzalez, program manager, Bell 360 Invictus. «The Bell 360 offers the Army the ability to modernize using simplified and inherently reliable designs to reduce costs and deliver enhanced effectiveness for the Army».

Robot survey boat

A new robot boat which can be used to quickly survey uncharted waters and gather data has begun trials with the Royal Navy.

Otter Pro
Royal Navy tests robot survey boat for future operations

The Otter Pro has been put through its paces at the Defence Diving School, on Horsea Island, Portsmouth, by the navy’s Project Hecla team.

They were testing the use of the remote-controlled vessel for conducting underwater survey operations where, with a range of sensors, it could gather data on the water around it and objects on the seabed.

In the tests at Horsea Lake, the Otter Pro was able to collect sonar imagery of a number of wrecks – detailing evidence of decay and structural collapse on a sunken day cruiser, motor boat and helicopter.

Its sensors also picked up swim lines and seabed erosion caused by divers.

During its first hour in the water, the vessel, controlled by trained RN personnel, proved its ability to deploy and gather survey information quickly and effectively – surveying an area the size of the pitch at Fratton Park.

Commander Graham Mimpriss, Royal Navy lead for the trials, said: «Although the Otter Pro is being operated to enable Project Hecla to refine future operating concepts of uncrewed surface vehicles in future military surveying application, it has begun to prove itself as being superior to existing portable systems. Using a rapid response context, this vehicle was mobilised within an hour of arrival having been transported to the site in a van. The team on its first outing surveyed Horsea Lake (7,000 square metres/75,347 square feet) in 40 minutes and then generated a viable product within an hour. This was achieved with a team of three without the need for a boat or jetty facilities for launching or recovery. During surveying, two of the team acted as pilot and looked out for the vehicle and the third was processing the data in near real time. Our existing platforms would be hard pressed to match this performance in a rapid response scenario».

The next stage of the trials will see the Otter Pro, from RS Aqua Ltd, tested in a more complex environment and its near-real time data processing will be refined. The Project Hecla team will also further examine the Otter’s Norbit multi-beam echo sounder and different sonar systems.

Commander Mimpriss added: «This first trial has begun to demonstrate positive benefits of uncrewed surface vehicles for surveying and also highlighted changes the Royal Navy would need to make to training, personnel employment and logistics for enable full exploitation of offboard technologies».

Maiden Flight

The first of five Boeing P-8A Poseidon aircraft for Norway performed its maiden flight yesterday, August 9. The aircraft took off at 10:03 a.m. Pacific time and flew for 2 hours, 24 minutes, reaching a maximum altitude of 41,000 feet/12,497 m during the flight from Renton Municipal Airport to Boeing Field in Seattle.

P-8A Poseidon
Norway’s First P-8A Poseidon Performs Maiden Flight

The first flight marks the next phase of the production cycle of this aircraft as it is moved to the Installation and Checkout facility, where mission systems will be installed and additional testing will take place before final delivery to the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency (NDMA) later this year.

«This inaugural flight is an important milestone for Norway, and the Boeing team remains committed to delivering the P-8 Poseidon fleet to the NDMA on schedule», said Christian Thomsen, P-8 Poseidon Europe program manager. «The P-8 Poseidon is a capability that will help Norway improve anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and search-and-rescue missions, in addition to fostering valuable regional collaboration and interoperability with NATO nations».

The five P-8As will eventually replace Norway’s current fleet of six P-3 Orions and three DA-20 Jet Falcons. The Royal Norwegian Air Force currently operates its P-3s from Andoya Air Station. With the introduction of the P-8s, flight operations will move to new facilities at Evenes Air Station.

To date, Boeing has delivered 136 P-8 Poseidon aircraft to the U.S. Navy, the Royal Australian Air Force, the Indian Navy and the United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force. Norway is one of eight nations that have selected the P-8A Poseidon as their maritime patrol aircraft, along with the United States, India, Australia, the United Kingdom, Korea, New Zealand and Germany.

 

Technical Specifications

Wing Span 123.6 feet/37.64 m
Height 42.1 feet/12.83 m
Length 129.5 feet/39.47 m
Propulsion 2 × CFM56-7B engines
27,000 lbs./12,237 kgf/120 kN thrust
Speed 490 knots/564 mph/908 km/h
Range 1,200 NM/1,381 miles/2,222 km with 4 hours on station
Ceiling 41,000 feet/12,497 m
Crew 9
Maximum Take-Off Gross Weight 189,200 lbs./85,820 kg

 

AIR6500 Phase 1

Canberra, Australia, 5 August 2021, Lockheed Martin Australia, welcomed today’s announcement by the Minister for Defence, The Hon Peter Dutton MP, and the Minister for Defence Industry, The Hon Melissa Price MP, on the Government’s official down selection of Lockheed Martin Australia, as one of the two primes selected, to participate in the Royal Australian Air Force’s AIR6500 Phase 1 Project (AIR6500-1): Competitive Evaluation Process Stage 2 (CEPS2).

AIR6500
AIR6500 will connect assets across air, land, sea, cyber and space for enhanced defence against potential threats to national security

AIR6500-1 will provide the Australian Defence Force (ADF) with a Joint Air Battle Management System that will form the architecture at the core of the ADF’s future Integrated Air and Missile Defence (IAMD) capability. This will provide greater situational awareness and defence against increasingly advanced air and missile threats, as well as give the ADF increased levels of interoperability with coalition partners.

Joe North, Chief Executive Lockheed Martin Australia and New Zealand said, «Today’s announcement marks the next step in AIR6500-1 to work in partnership with the Australian Defence Force and industry partners to support the Royal Australian Air Force’s vision to transform the Air Force into a next-gen-enabled force through delivering a sovereign highly advanced Joint Air Battle Management System to protect Australia’s security».

«Since 2016, we have been highly committed to supporting the AIR6500-1 project. Our Lockheed Martin Australia AIR6500-1 team has steadily grown over this time to over 80 Australians in Adelaide, Canberra and Williamtown».

«Critical to that effort has been our focus on proactively engaging and establishing important partnerships with Australian industry to identify and invest in ‘best of breed’ local capabilities to deliver a truly sovereign capability solution for Australia», said Mr. North.

Lockheed Martin Australia will continue partnering with industry, academia and government to develop, integrate, build, and sustain future technologies that can be integrated into an open architecture framework to support AIR6500-1. This approach will ensure innovative small to medium Australian high-tech businesses remain at the core of shaping Australia’s future defence capabilities.

«We look forward to collaborating with Australian industry and the Royal Australian Air Force to progress the AIR6500-1 solution as part of the CEPS2. We would like to congratulate Northrop Grumman for also being down selected for the CEPS2», said Mr. North.

Steve Froelich, Lockheed Martin Australia AIR6500 Program Executive reflected that today’s AIR6500-1 announcement will set new standards for Joint All Domain Operations. He said «AIR6500-1 will make it possible to combine Australia’s integrated battlespace with the U.S and allied forces, ensuring greater situational awareness and increased interoperability for our military forces to combat evolving threats across the region».

Lockheed Martin Australia actively supports an Australian sovereign defence capability which sees a highly skilled workforce of over 1,200 across Australia who partner with defence and industry to deliver, integrate and sustain advanced technology solutions. In turn, our programs and projects directly support over 6,000 Australian jobs in the advanced manufacturing and high technology defence industry sector.

Flight Trials

Schiebel Aircraft and Areté Associates, successfully showcased the CAMCOPTER S-100 Unmanned Air System (UAS) combined with Areté’s Pushbroom Imaging Lidar for Littoral Surveillance (PILLS) sensor to the U.S. Navy’s Office of Naval Research (ONR).

CAMCOPTER S-100
Schiebel CAMCOPTER S-100 successfully completes flight trials for U.S. Navy

In a combined demonstration sponsored by the U.S. Office of Naval Research (ONR) on a commercial vessel off the coast of Pensacola, Florida, Schiebel and Areté demonstrated the CAMCOPTER S-100 and its capabilities, as well as Areté’s Push-broom Imaging Lidar for Littoral Surveillance (PILLS) system.

PILLS enables hydrographic mapping of ocean littoral spaces with a low Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP) sensor that easily integrates into the S-100. PILLS has multiple military and commercial applications.

Hans Georg Schiebel, Chairman of the Schiebel Group, said: «We are proud that we could successfully showcase the outstanding capabilities and data-gathering features of our CAMCOPTER S-100 to the US Navy. Globally, we operate extensively on land and at sea and we are confident that our unmanned solution is also the right fit for the U.S. Navy».

 

About the CAMCOPTER S-100

Schiebel’s CAMCOPTER S-100 Unmanned Air System (UAS) is an operationally proven capability for military and civilian applications. The Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) UAS requires no prepared area or supporting equipment to enable launch and recovery. It operates by day and by night, under adverse weather conditions, with a beyond line-of-sight capability out to 108 NM/124 miles/200 km, over land and sea. Its carbon fibre and titanium fuselage provides capacity for a wide range of payload/endurance combinations up to a service ceiling of 5,500 m/18,000 feet. In a typical configuration, the CAMCOPTER S-100 carries a 34-kg/75-lbs. payload up to 10 hours and is powered with AVGas or JP-5 heavy fuel. High-definition payload imagery is transmitted to the control station in real time. In addition to its standard GPS waypoint or manual navigation, the S-100 can successfully operate in environments where GPS is not available, with missions planned and controlled via a simple point-and-click graphical user interface. The high-tech unmanned helicopter is backed by Schiebel’s excellent customer support and training services.