Rotary wing UAV manufacturer Schiebel has been awarded a grant agreement under the European Defence Fund’s call for unmanned anti-submarine and seabed warfare solutions.

The SEACURE (Seabed and anti-submarine warfare capability through unmanned feature for Europe) consortium comprises 35 companies from 13 European countries. It aims to progress joint anti-submarine warfare and seabed warfare (SBW) with unmanned air, surface and underwater systems protecting critical maritime infrastructure. The focus is on detecting, classifying, identifying and tracking underwater threats in demanding conditions.

Schiebel's latest product, the CAMCOPTER® S-300, will serve as the dedicated Unmanned Air System (UAS) for the project. With a maximum take-off weight of 700 kg, the S-300 boasts endurance of over 24 hours with a camera or typically six hours with a 250 kg payload. The SEACURE project is scheduled to culminate in a large-scale sea trial by 2028.

Schiebel has worked with Thales on various ASW solutions for its S-100 Camcopter since the NATO exercise REPMUS in 2022. Due to its longer endurance and higher payload capacity, the S-300 delivers a multitude of new possibilities for ASW and SBW, according to Schiebel.

“The SEACURE project aligns perfectly with our S-300 development roadmap and we’re proud to be part of such a significant project,” said Hans Georg Schiebel, chairman of the Schiebel.