TSAMTO, April 27. At the request of the French Navy, the companies Naval Group and Airbus Helicopters have expanded the range of flight modes of the VSR700 helicopter-type unmanned aerial vehicle demonstrator during recent tests.
According to Jane's International Defense Review, Airbus reported that the VSR700 vertical take-off and landing (GDP) UAV reached a speed of 60 knots, "fully revealing the range of low-speed flight modes."
In 2018, the Directorate General for Armaments of the French Ministry of the Armed Forces (DGA) signed a contract with the companies Naval Group and Airbus Helicopters for the supply of a VSR700 UAV demonstrator for possible tests from a French Navy ship as part of the development of the SDAM (Navy Airborne Drone System) unmanned ship-based system.
According to Airbus, after the latest tests, the total flight time of the UAV reached 10 hours, which brought the program closer to its goal – to perform a flight from a French Navy ship at sea. As the company states, reaching a speed of 60 knots, the VSR700 is approaching the threshold required for a French Navy demonstration at sea in 2022.
Earlier, Airbus Helicopters announced that the VSR700 is a modified light manned helicopter "Kabri G2" of the company Helicopters Guimbal, equipped with technologies to ensure autonomous flight, including the ability to recognize obstacles and avoid collisions with them. Although the technical characteristics of the VSR700 UAV are not disclosed, the Kabri G2, on the project of which it is based, is equipped with a Lycoming O-360 piston engine with a capacity of 180 hp. The maximum take-off weight is 700 kg, the flight speed is 185 km / h, the flight range is 700 km, the practical ceiling is about 13,000 feet (3950 m). Since the VSR700 performs the flight in offline mode, the operator does not control it, but controls the flight plan.
According to its weight and size characteristics, the VSR700 belongs to the same class as the MQ-8B Fire Scout UAV developed by Northrop Grumman, which was adopted by the US Navy. It is likely that whatever platform is chosen by the French Navy to meet the requirements for the SDAM system, it will be used in a similar role, performing tasks such as relaying communications, gathering information, surveillance and reconnaissance out of line of sight, as well as launching strikes.
