Airbus Helicopters and Voyageur Aviation have signed an agreement for the first purchase order of the Airbus U030 Flexrotor uncrewed aerial system (UAS) in Canada. Signed at the Farnborough International Airshow, the contract marks Voyageur as the official Canadian launch customer for the platform, introducing a highly advanced, mission-proven capability to the Canadian market. The agreement closely follows a recently signed memorandum of understanding (MOU) between Airbus and Voyageur aimed at supporting Canada’s defence objectives, which took place at CANSEC in May 2026.
“This purchase represents a significant advancement in Voyageur’s ISR strategy and an important first for the Canadian market,” said Cory Cousineau, President of Voyageur. “As the first Flexrotor operator in Canada, Voyageur is well positioned to introduce and operationalise this new technology within the realities of Canada’s operating environment. Voyageur’s long history of aircraft operations, maintenance, training, and sustainment expertise provides a solid foundation to support the safe and effective operation of this new technology. We look forward to offering our clients with a rapidly deployable and mission-ready ISR solution anywhere in Canada or beyond.”
“Bringing the Flexrotor into Canada with an experienced operator like Voyageur underscores Airbus’ commitment to delivering next-generation tactical capabilities to the region,” said Dwayne Charette, President of Airbus Helicopters in Canada. “As operational requirements continue to evolve, operators need systems that deliver greater reach, persistence, and situational awareness. Flexrotor’s advanced design and its potential to support crewed-uncrewed teaming represents a critical shift in how complex ISTAR missions can be executed. We are proud to support Voyageur as they introduce this proven capability to meet Canada’s evolving operational requirements.”
The Airbus U030 Flexrotor is a high-endurance, tactical vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) UAS engineered for intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR) operations across military, parapublic, and commercial sectors. The UAS features a maximum launch weight of 25 kg (55 lbs) and delivers an operational flight endurance of 12+ hours in standard configurations. Designed for expeditionary missions demanding a minimal operational footprint, the Flexrotor executes fully autonomous launch and recovery maneuvers from either land or sea using a 3.7 by 3.7 metre (12 by 12 ft.) area. Its robust expeditionary capabilities and long endurance make the U030 Flexrotor uniquely suited to the demanding conditions of Canada’s vast land and maritime environments.
Flexrotor starts operations with the European Maritime Safety Agency
Airbus also said the Flexrotor has officially started maritime surveillance operations in the Baltic Sea on behalf of the European Maritime Security Agency (EMSA). In December 2025, Airbus Helicopters was awarded a €30 million framework contract with the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) to provide Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) services for multipurpose maritime surveillance across the European Union, with sub-contractor operator Extensee. Operations started after a series of successful test flights to validate technical and regulatory milestones ahead of the entry into service, and to support operator handover to Extensee. The first operational deployment began in July in the Baltic region (covering Estonia, Latvia and Finland), marking the entry into service of the U030 Flexrotor under EMSA service and supporting national authorities with maritime surveillance. The service provides operational intelligence gathered through Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) and radar payloads, streamed in real time to the EMSA RPAS Data Centre. This enables participating national authorities to follow missions live and integrate actionable information into their operational workflows. The system supports coast guard functions including search and rescue, fisheries control, environmental monitoring, and the detection of illicit maritime activity.
Airbus spearheads new E2D European defence tech fund
At the Farnborough International Airshow, Airbus Defence and Space signed an agreement to become the anchor investor in the new E2D dual-use and defence technology growth fund. This strategic investment aims to bolster the European defence ecosystem by providing growth capital to high-tech companies across the continent, thereby strengthening European sovereignty and closing critical capability gaps.
E2D was launched in June 2026 by AVP and Earlybird, two leading European venture and growth capital firms. With a target size of €500 million, the fund represents one of the most significant Franco-German investment collaborations in the European technology sector.
“European defence faces a reality requiring scale and speed, therefore, we must actively build and expand a future tech ecosystem of suppliers and partners,” said Michael Schoellhorn, CEO of Airbus Defence and Space. “Investing into E2D is adding to our internal and direct M&A steps to scale European deep-tech, keeping critical capital, talent, and intellectual property on the continent.”
The growth-stage fund targets approximately 20 companies with an average investment size of €25 million. Its focus spans critical domains including space, air, land, maritime, and subsurface, backing businesses with modern operating models and clear mission focus across both defence-native and dual-use applications. E2D has also announced its first investment in French-headquartered Alta Ares, a company developing AI-powered hardware and agnostic software for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR) and counter-unmanned aerial systems (UAS) missions. This follows a recently signed Memorandum of Understanding between Airbus Defence and Space and Alta Ares to co-develop and integrate next-generation European counter-drone solutions into Airbus’ battle management suite.
Since its establishment in 2016 in Paris, AVP has operated as an independent global investment platform dedicated to high-growth tech companies, managing more than €2.5 billion of assets. Founded in 1997, pan-European Earlybird also manages €2.5 billion, supporting early-stage companies through their growth phases with financial resources and strategic network access.
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