Major Step in Navy’s Mercator Plan
On behalf of the French Navy, Naval Group has accepted delivery of two additional CAMCOPTER S-100 UAS – comprising four UAV – to be deployed on the two MISTRAL-class amphibious helicopter carriers, MISTRAL and TONNERRE, Schiebel announced on 14 December.
The acquisition follows the successful integration of CAMCOPTER S-100 on the DIXMUDE – sister vessel to the new recipients – in 2019, which marked the first occasion in Europe on which a rotary-wing UAS had been connected to the combat system of an amphibious helicopter carrier.
Acceptance tests for the new systems took place in late October. Over the next several months they will be integrated with their parent vessels, significantly increasing the latter’s ISR capabilities. “The S-100 on [the] MISTRAL-class will be the first operational tactical UAS for the French Navy, and this is a major step towards the Mercator plan,” stated LCDR Serge D, UAS programme officer for the French Navy. [French security regulations require serving personnel remain unidentified]
“After the successful integration on the DIXMUDE, we are very proud of the confidence the French Navy has in the proven and reliable CAMCOPTER S-100 and we are looking forward to the integration on the TONNERRE and MISTRAL and their operational deployment,” observed Hans Georg Schiebel, Chairman of Schiebel Group.