The French Navy has placed an order for five additional Camcopter S-100 helicopter drones from Austrian manufacturer Schiebel, increasing its total inventory to eight systems. Each system includes two S-100 unmanned aerial vehicles, with deliveries scheduled to begin this year.
The drones will be integrated onto the navy’s FREMM frigates by Naval Group, serving as the prime contractor and system integrator. According to Schiebel’s Aéronaval SAS director, Lubos Sramek, the French Navy was among the first in Europe to operationally deploy the S-100 for shipborne missions.
France has been operating the S-100 since 2012, initially deploying it aboard the Gowind-class offshore patrol vessel L’Adroit. In 2019, the system was integrated onto the Mistral-class amphibious assault ship Dixmude, marking the first use of a rotary-wing drone within a European naval combat management system. Additional units were procured in 2020 and deployed on the Mistral and Tonnerre.
The Camcopter S-100 is designed for maritime intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions, with a payload capacity of up to 50 kilograms. It can operate for over six hours with a standard payload and up to 10 hours when equipped with an external fuel tank. The drone reaches speeds of up to 100 knots and maintains a loiter speed of around 55 knots.
Featuring vertical take-off and landing capability and a maximum take-off weight of 200 kilograms, the S-100 can operate directly from naval vessels without requiring specialized launch or recovery systems. The platform has also been selected for deployment on the Hellenic Navy’s FDI frigates.
