Camcopter S-100
Camcopter S-100 (2021) in operation for European Maritime Safety Agency
Role UAV
Manufacturer Schiebel
Primary users UAE Army
German Navy
Chinese Navy
United States Navy

The Schiebel Camcopter S-100 is an Austrian unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) using a rotorcraft design.

Design and development

Produced by the Austrian company Schiebel, it was developed from 2003 to 2005. With a maximum take-off weight (MTOW) of 200 kg (440 lb), its endurance is 6 hours (extendable to over 10 hours with optional external AVGAS fuel tanks fitted[1]). It has a maximum speed of 220 km/h (140 mph) and a ceiling of 5,500 m (18,000 ft). It is powered by a 41 kW (55 hp) Diamond engine and can carry various payloads, such as electro-optics and infrared sensors.The primary radio link between ground station(s) occupy the 5030‐5091 MHz band. A secondary link in the UHF band would operate within 433.2125 MHz to 434.4625 MHz.

On 12 March 2012 Schiebel announced that it successfully tested a company-developed heavy-fuel engine interchangeable with the standard Diamond engine. This heavy-fuel engine allows for the use of JP-5, Jet A-1 or JP-8 jet fuels. These fuels, which are standard on marine vessels, are safer to store and handle than gasoline.[2]

On 7 February 2013, Schiebel flight tested a Thales Group I-Master surveillance radar system on the Camcopter at its Wiener Neustadt, Austria, facility. The I-Master system, weighing 30 kg (66 lb), provides ground moving target indication and synthetic-aperture radar operations.[3]

International customers

The S-100 on display

The launch customer for the S-100 was the UAE Army, which ordered 40 aircraft with an option for 40 more. The aircraft was ordered by three more undisclosed nations, with total orders reaching 200.

The Camcopter underwent sea trials on the Indian Navy's INS Sujata (P56) during October 2007.[4] Flight testing occurred aboard a Pakistan Navy Type 21 frigate in the Arabian Sea on 16 March 2008,[5] with further naval testing on 14 April 2008 on the Spanish Guardia Civil vessel Rio Miño off Gran Canaria.[4][6]

The German Navy conducted testing during three weeks in August and September 2008 on the Braunschweig-class corvettes Braunschweig and Magdeburg, respectively. More than 130 takeoffs were conducted, and the UAV maintained unaided on-deck stability in greater than 15° flight deck roll conditions.[7][8]

The French Navy performed test flights during September and October 2008, with a Camcopter spending four days on a barge in the Atlantic Ocean and a further three days on the frigate Montcalm (D642).[4][9]

Libya ordered four Camcopters in 2009, which were placed under command of the Khamis Brigade.[10]

Jordan ordered two S-100s with L3Harris Wescam MX-10 EO-IR payloads in July 2010 and accepted delivery in February 2011.[11]

In November 2011 the Camcopter demonstrated flights from the French Gowind-class corvette L'Adroit.[12] At the same time, the Gorizont (Horizon) Air S-100, a Russian license-built version of the UAV was successfully tested aboard the Coast Guard patrol cutter Rubin. Russia intends to equip all Rubin-class patrol boats with these UAVs.[13]

In 2010 the Chinese Navy purchased 18 of these systems. Two years later, in May 2012, an unmanned UAV believed to be a Camcopter S-100 was photographed operating from the fantail of a Chinese Type 054A frigate.[14]

In April 2012, the Camcopter became the first unmanned helicopter to fly from an Italian Navy vessel when it was flight tested from the MM Bersagliere (F-584).[15] In February 2014, the Italian Navy chose the S-100 as its primary unmanned aerial system for shipboard operations, where it will be used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR). It will additionally support other activities, such as search and rescue and natural disaster recovery.[16] They are currently assigned to the 4° Gruppo Elicotteri (4th Helicopter Sqn.) based at the Grottaglie Naval Air Station near Taranto.[17]

In December 2014, the Camcopter went through a series of trials in Bizerte, Tunisia, to serve within the Tunisian Army. Schiebel selected the Italian company Leonardo to supply AESA-based SAR radar for the systems which were to enter service in 2017.[18]

In February 2017, the Royal Australian Navy awarded a contract to provide an unrevealed number of Camcopter systems, plus three-years support.[19] The type is operated by 822X Squadron RAN, which is responsible for trialling UAVs.[20]

In 2018, the Belgian Navy conducted a weeks-long testing of the Camcopter, assessing its utility for maritime surveillance and search and rescue.[21]

In early 2023, the Royal Navy selected the system for operations in an intelligence-gathering, surveillance and reconnaissance role. To be named Peregrine in Royal Navy service, it is initially intended to begin operations in the Persian Gulf in mid-2024.[22]

Airframe losses

On 10 May 2012, an Austrian engineer from Schiebel was killed and two South Korean colleagues were injured when a Camcopter S-100 crashed into their control vehicle during a test flight in the South Korean city of Incheon.[23]

On 25 August 2015, forces in Yemen shot down a Camcopter S-100 operated by the United Arab Emirates Army in the area of Mukayris of southern Yemen.[24]

On 28 August 2020, a Camcopter S-100 owned by the European Maritime Safety Agency and operated by the Croatian Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure crashed shortly after takeoff from Brač Airport, causing a fire which destroyed 150 hectares (370 acres) of macchia. No injuries were reported.[25][26]

On 20 April 2022, it was claimed that Ukrainian forces shot down a Horizon Air S-100 operated by the Russian Armed Forces using a Man-portable air-defense system.[27][28] The images showed the wreckage of a Russian VM-V helicopter target (decoy) with its manufacturer АО ЦНТУ «Динамика» written on the plate.

Operators

Military users

Non-military users

Specifications

UAS Peregrine System (Camcopter S-100) at the Thales stand at the Paris Air Show 2023.

Data from Schiebel.net (General);[35][36] Armada International (Powerplant 1);[37] Schiebel.net (Powerplant 2)[2]

General characteristics

Performance

Armament

See also

Related lists

References

  1. ^ "AAIB Bulletin" (PDF). Air Accidents Investigation Branch. 8 June 2017. p. 66.
  2. ^ a b Blama, Andrea (12 March 2012). "Maiden Flight of the Camcopter S-100 with Schiebel's New Heavy Fuel Engine" (PDF) (Press release). Schiebel.net. Retrieved 22 June 2012.[permanent dead link]
  3. ^ Hoyle, Craig (19 February 2013). "Camcopter UAV flies with Thales dual-mode radar". Flight International. Archived from the original on 7 March 2013. Retrieved 27 May 2013.
  4. ^ a b c Pengelley, Rupert (June 2009). "All hands on deck: the sky's the limit for shipboard UAVs" (PDF). Jane's Navy International: 12–13. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 April 2013.
  5. ^ "CamCopter S-100: Shipboard Trials with Pakistani Navy". Defencetalk.com. 17 April 2008. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 27 May 2013.
  6. ^ "Camcopter S-100 Shipboard Trials With Guardia Civil South". ASDNews.com. 18 April 2008. Archived from the original on 9 June 2015. Retrieved 27 May 2013.
  7. ^ "Camcopter S-100 completes extensive German Navy flight trials". Shephard Media. 30 September 2008. Archived from the original on 27 March 2012. Retrieved 4 June 2011.
  8. ^ "Camcopter S-100 UAV Successfully Completes Deck Landing Trials on K130 Corvettes". Deagle.com. 14 October 2008. Archived from the original on 4 October 2012. Retrieved 4 June 2011.
  9. ^ Scott, Richard (14 October 2008). "DCNS claims automatic shipborne UAV recovery breakthrough". Janes.com. Archived from the original on 8 June 2011. Retrieved 16 October 2008.
  10. ^ "Rot-weiß-rote Drohnen in Gaddafis Diensten". Der Standard (in German). 1 March 2011. Archived from the original on 4 March 2011. Retrieved 2 March 2011.
  11. ^ Putrich, Gayle (23 February 2011). "Jordan gets Schiebel Camcopter S-100". Flight International. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 22 June 2012.
  12. ^ "Schiebel's unmanned helo proves its worth". United Press International via Spacewar.com. 30 November 2011. Archived from the original on 6 December 2011. Retrieved 1 December 2011.
  13. ^ На Черном море успешно проведены морские испытания БЛА вертолетного типа. Military Paritet (in Russian). 29 November 2011. Archived from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 27 June 2012.
  14. ^ Waldron, Greg (18 May 2012). "Schiebel Camcopter S-100 operated from Chinese frigate". Flight Global. Retrieved 18 May 2012.
  15. ^ "First drone-helicopter to take-off from an Italian navy ship". AvioNews. 3 May 2012. Archived from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
  16. ^ Cenciotti, David (31 May 2014). "The Italian Navy is testing a tiny Camcopter drone from its amphibious warfare ship". The Aviationist. Archived from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
  17. ^ "Orbats".
  18. ^ Khan, Bilal (2 March 2017). "Schiebel selects Leonardo to supply AESA-based SAR radar for UAV". Quwa. Archived from the original on 27 June 2018. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  19. ^ Jennings, Gareth (6 February 2017). "Australia selects Camcopter for naval VTOL UAV requirement". IHS Jane's 360. Archived from the original on 6 February 2017. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
  20. ^ "822X Squadron". Royal Australian Navy. Archived from the original on 30 October 2018. Retrieved 30 October 2018.
  21. ^ Sprenger, Sebastian (4 July 2018). "Belgian Navy tests Austrian copter drone for at-sea surveillance". Defense News. The Belgian Navy has finished a weekslong series of test flights with Schiebel's CAMCOPTER S-100 drone as part of the sea service's search for new maritime-surveillance and search-and-rescue equipment, the company announced Tuesday.
  22. ^ "Peregrine rotary wing UAV to enter service with the Royal Navy". Navy Lookout. 10 February 2023.
  23. ^ Mortimer, Gary (11 May 2012). "Schiebel S-100 crash kills engineer in South Korea". sUAS News. Archived from the original on 11 April 2016. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
  24. ^ "Another Saudi Spy Drone Downed by Yemen". Fars News Agency. 12 February 2016. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
  25. ^ a b "Na Braču se srušio dron pun kerozina i izazvao požar, Ministarstvo mora: To je naša letjelica". Jutarnji list (in Croatian). 28 August 2020. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
  26. ^ "Na Braču se srušio dron i izazvao požar: Radi se o dronu koje koristi ministarstvo?". Večernji list (in Croatian). 28 August 2020. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
  27. ^ "Підрозділами ППО ДШВ ЗС України збито два чергових російських БПЛА "Горизонт Ейр S-100" та "Орлан-10"" [Two regular Russian UAVs "Horizon Air S-100" and "Orlan-10" shot down by air defense units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine] (in Ukrainian).
  28. ^ "AFU airborne troops shot down two Russian UAVs using "Stinger" and "Starstreak" SAMs". Censor.net. 20 April 2022. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  29. ^ Mitzer, Stijn; Oliemans, Joost (28 December 2021). "The Middle East's Game of Drones: Egypt's UAV Arsenal". Oryx.
  30. ^ "UN Expert Calls for EU Investigation Into Austrian Firm That Sold Drones to Myanmar". Retrieved 10 August 2019.
  31. ^ Broadbent, Mark (August 2021). "UAV Focus". Air International. Vol. 101, no. 2. p. 14. ISSN 0306-5634.
  32. ^ "OSCE Special Monitoring Mission". OSCE. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 20 February 2016.
  33. ^ "Frontiera maritimă a României, supravegheată de o dronă de mari dimensiuni". CTnews (in Romanian). 6 April 2020.
  34. ^ "'Baby shark' drones to help rescue helicopters". BBC News. 31 July 2020. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  35. ^ "Camcopter S-100: System". Scheibel.net. Archived from the original on 6 October 2011. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
  36. ^ Camcopter S-100 Unmanned Air System (English). Scheibel. 5 April 2012. Archived from the original on 26 October 2012.
  37. ^ "Compendium Drones 2011". Armada International. Internationale Armada AG. 35 (3): 26. June–July 2011. ISSN 0252-9793.

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