UAS Achieves Mission Objectives in Challenging Conditions

In a keynote presentation at the Naval Mission Systems Technology Conference, organised by SMI in Rome this week, Jonas Holmkvist, Chief Engineer for the SKELDAR V-200 UAS, highlighted the air vehicle’s essential role in EU maritime operations off the Horn of Africa.

The SKELDAR V-200 was deployed by the Spanish Navy during the “Meteoro” counter piracy patrols in the IRTC (Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor) covering the Gulf of Aden, where it provided real time intelligence on the bases and camps being used by Somali pirates, as well as individual offshore operations. Designed to be operated by two people on-board a naval vessel without additional material or media for take-off, the SKELDAR V-200 is uniquely powered by a heavy fuel engine and includes multiple payloads, making it the ideal UAV for maritime operations.

“….SKELDAR V-200 achieved its mission objectives within the very high temperatures and corrosive conditions of the Indian Ocean,” Holmkvist explained.

SKELDAR is a product of UMS Skeldar, a joint venture of UMS Aero Group AG and Saab AB, who have joined forces to further develop unmanned solutions to complex mission challenges.