Schiebel Camcopter S-100

The Schiebel CAMCOPTER S-100 is a rotary-wing VTOL unmanned air system developed by Austrian company Schiebel. Its runway-independent design and compact size allow it to operate from land bases, ship decks and restricted operating areas. The system is primarily used for maritime surveillance, border security, search and rescue and intelligence missions.

The S-100’s helicopter-type configuration enables low-speed flight and hovering, making it well suited to monitoring maritime targets for extended periods. Its interchangeable payload bays can accommodate EO/IR cameras, maritime surveillance radar, AIS, emissions-monitoring equipment and other third-party sensors according to mission requirements.

The CAMCOPTER S-100 is designed to operate day and night, in different weather conditions and alongside crewed maritime assets. During European Maritime Safety Agency missions, it has been used to monitor ship emissions, detect oil spills and observe maritime traffic. Its capabilities have also been demonstrated in mine countermeasures, environmental reconnaissance and sonobuoy deployment missions for anti-submarine warfare.

According to the manufacturer’s current data, the S-100 has a maximum speed of 120 knots, a cruise speed of 55 knots, an endurance of approximately 10 hours, a service ceiling of 18,000 feet and a payload capacity of 50 kilograms. Its data-link range is approximately 200 kilometres. This figure refers to the control and data-transfer connection rather than the aircraft’s physical flight range.