Diehl Defence and Schiebel have renewed an agreement to continue bidding the latter's Camcopter rotary-wing unmanned air vehicle to the German navy.
The two companies have co-operated on a pitch to the service for more than a decade, with the UAV first demonstrated some eight years ago aboard the K130-class corvettes Braunschweig and Magdeburg in the Baltic Sea.
During the 2008 trials, 130 take-offs and landings were conducted over 20h, which Schiebel says was “well in excess of expectations”.
The pair have continued to promote the Camcopter to Berlin since the trials, but have yet to seal a contract.
Vienna-based Schiebel declines to comment on any active campaigns in Germany, but tells FlightGlobal that no further trials are currently planned.
The two will further refine their bidding strategy – including a decision on which company will take the role of prime contractor – once the navy releases its request for proposals.
“The renewal of the teaming agreement is the result of the longstanding co-operation between Diehl Defence and Schiebel,” says Helmut Rauch, a member of the division board of Diehl Defence. “We consider Schiebel a highly competent partner and believe the Camcopter S-100 is the best possible product for all remotely piloted aircraft operations of the German navy.”
Schiebel
Some 300 Camcopters have been sold to a number of customers over the duration of the programme – which has spanned more than 10 years – including to navies and civil operators.
Military customers include Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and China, while civil operators include the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe’s monitoring mission in Ukraine and the Migrant Offshore Aid Station project.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
