The acquisition includes Aerovel Flexrotor, a small tactical UAS designed for ISTAR missions at sea and overland
Airbus Helicopters has acquired the US company Aerovel and its unmanned aerial system (UAS) Flexrotor to strengthen its portfolio of tactical unmanned solutions. Flexrotor is a small tactical UAS designed for intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) missions at sea and over land.
The Flexrotor is a modern Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) Unmanned Aircraft with a maximum launch weight of 25kg. It was designed to last for over 12-14 hours in a typical operational configuration for intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR) missions. Depending on customers’ mission needs, It can integrate different payloads, including an electro-optical system and advanced sensors. The system is ideal for missions requiring minimal footprint, as it can autonomously launch and recover from either land or sea, requiring only a 6.7m by 6.7m (12 by 12ft) area for launch and recovery. It can also be a mission-proven force multiplier for operations in harsh, high-threat, GPS-denied environments and can be used for ‘parapublic’ missions and ice navigation.
Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters, commented: “We are looking forward to welcoming Aerovel into the Airbus family. This strategic acquisition aligns with our vision to expand our UAS offering and respond to a growing customer demand worldwide for additional mission capabilities such as manned-unmanned teaming. Aerovel’s expertise in autonomous flight technology will undoubtedly complement our UAS development with the VSR700, as well as the work that we have been doing to develop interoperability.”
“Joining forces with Airbus will allow us to scale innovation, accelerate our mission to advance unmanned aviation, and maintain our unwavering support for the US military and its allies. We are proud to become part of an organisation with a rich legacy of aerospace excellence and we look forward to leveraging our combined strengths to define the future of autonomous systems. It will also be a great tribute to our Founder and Chief Technology Officer, Tad McGeer, who has spent the last 30 years committed to delivering innovative unmanned products,” added Ali Dian, CEO of Aerovel.
Aerovel, based in Bingen, Washington, will remain a US-owned company and continue to collaborate with the US DoD under Airbus’ Special Security Agreement (SSA). The relevant bodies have approved the acquisition of both companies. It remains subject to regulatory approvals, and the closure of the transaction is expected in 2024.
