Schiebel’s CAMCOPTER S-100 unmanned air vehicle has successfully completed search and rescue (SAR) flight trials with the Norwegian Coast Guard.
The SAR flight trials took place in mid-September aboard the Norwegian offshore patrol vessel (OPV), KV Svalbard, after the vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) UAV was chosen to demonstrate its SAR capabilities.
During the trials, the CAMCOPTER S-100 performed a SAR mission, alongside a Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNoAF) Westland Sea King Mk43B SAR helicopter. Schiebel noted that the UAV successfully found a dummy in the ocean during a "man overboard" mission.
The S-100 was equipped with the Overwatch Imaging PT-8 Oceanwatch wide-area maritime surveillance radar system, the L3 Harris Wescam MX-10 real-time electro-optical/ infrared (EO/IR) camera and Schiebel's harpoon system. The CAMCOPTER S-100 was able to broadcast live images to the KV Svalbard and to other land-based rescue centres. It was also able to retrieve the dummy and return it back to the OPV.
Hans Georg Schiebel, chairman of the Schiebel Group said: “This successful search and rescue trial is another great example of Schiebel continuously staying ahead of the curve. The S-100 is the only VTOL UAS outside of the United States that is routinely flying from ships and in addition it is capable [of carrying] a multitude of payloads. Especially for maritime search and rescue missions, the capabilities of the S-100 convince customers, given its compact size and it being able to scan vast areas for small objects.”
