Airbus has been awarded a €30 million framework contract by the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) to provide Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) services for multipurpose maritime surveillance with the Flexrotor Uncrewed Aerial System. These services enhance Coast Guard missions by offering extended coastal range and long-endurance capabilities.
“We are proud to partner with the European Maritime Safety Agency on this turnkey contract which allows the Flexrotor to fly operationally for the first time in Europe and to serve the critical mission of enhancing maritime surveillance,” said Victor Gerin-Roze, Head of Uncrewed Aerial Systems at Airbus Helicopters. “We have conducted multiple demonstration flights with the Flexrotor across Europe, showcasing its long endurance and the variety of systems it can carry, which is unique for a UAS of this size. We welcome the opportunity to demonstrate in Europe why the Flexrotor is the leading high-performance, reliable solution for this mission profile,” he added.
The core service includes flight operations utilising the Flexrotor system, delivering Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) and radar imagery. This data will be seamlessly streamed to the EMSA RPAS Data Centre used by the relevant national authorities of the Member States to follow the flights live. The services will directly support Coast Guard operations including search and rescue operations, fisheries control and environmental protection, as well as detection of illicit maritime activities.
The Flexrotor surveillance capabilities will support the national competent authorities of EU Member States, Norway, and Iceland, as well as relevant EU institutions. Under this contract the Flexrotor systems can be deployed in two operations in parallel with take-off sites within any participating country with the flexibility to add supplementary parallel operations if requested.
The initial framework contract is for two years, with the provision for two additional one-year option periods, extending the maximum potential delivery timeframe up to four years. Service is scheduled to begin in 2026. Operations will be performed by French service provider Extensee.
The Flexrotor is a modern Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) uncrewed aircraft with a launch weight of 25 kg (55 lbs), it has been designed for ISTAR missions for more than 12-14 hours in a typical operational configuration, and 10 hours in EMSA configuration. It can integrate different types of payloads including an electro-optical system and advanced sensors to suit customers’ unique mission needs. With the ability to autonomously launch and recover from either land or sea requiring only a 3.7 by 3.7 m (12 by 12 ft.) area, the Flexrotor is ideal for expeditionary missions requiring minimal footprint.
Spain orders 100 Airbus helicopters
Spain is placing orders for 100 Airbus helicopters through the Directorate General for Armament and Material (DGAM) of the Ministry of Defence. These four contracts, framed within the National Helicopter Plan announced in May, aim to boost the modernisation of Spain’s defence and security assets. The contracts, which represent the largest helicopter purchase by the DGAM, include four different models for the three branches of the Spanish Armed Forces. Specifically, the agreement includes the following programmes:
- 13 H135 helicopters: 12 units for the Spanish Air and Space Force and 1 for the Navy. They will be used for advanced pilot training, light utility, and observation missions.
- 50 H145M helicopters: All for the Spanish Army (FAMET). Their missions cover military pilot training, light attack (equipped with HForce, complementing the Tiger), light utility and disaster relief.
- 6 H175M helicopters: For the Spanish Air and Space Force. These super-medium utility helicopters will be used for governmental missions, including the transport of authorities, replacing obsolete fleets from Wing 48.
- 31 NH90 helicopters: 13 for the Army, 12 for Air and Space Force, and 6 for the Navy. Destined for tactical transport, manoeuvre, and special operations missions, as well as completing the Navy’s amphibious warfare fleet.
“By formalising these contracts, the Ministry of Defence fulfils its commitment to provide our Armed Forces with the latest generation of helicopters that are essential for their operations,” stated MarĂa Amparo Valcarce GarcĂa, Secretary of State for Defence. “This investment is strategic and is focused on significantly increasing Spain’s security and defence capabilities, ensuring national strategic autonomy in a key sector of European defence. This award is the tangible realisation of the National Helicopter Plan and the programmes included represent a qualitative shift in the capabilities of the Armed Forces. We are proud to be strengthening Spain’s national defence and security resilience,” said Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters. “Furthermore, they consolidate and advance Airbus Helicopters’ industrial footprint in Spain, projecting the country as a reference hub in the European aeronautical industry,” he added.
German Navy takes first NH90 Sea Tiger
Airbus Helicopters, through the joint venture NHIndustries, has handed over the first NH90 Sea Tiger to the German Navy during a delivery ceremony at the Navy’s base in Nordholz. A total of 31 helicopters are set to be delivered by 2030. The NH90 Sea Tiger will be used for anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare missions. “We are extremely proud to deliver the first NH90 Sea Tiger today to the German Navy, on cost, on time and on quality,” said Stefan ThomĂ©, Managing Director of Airbus Helicopters in Germany. “The Sea Tiger will provide the Navy with a powerful tool to defend Germany’s, Europe’s and NATO’s borders in the Baltic Sea and in the Atlantic – offering outstanding anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare capabilities.”
The helicopters will gradually replace the German Navy’s ageing Mk88A Sea Lynx fleet, which entered service in 1981. The German Navy already operates 18 NH90 Sea Lion naval transport helicopters, which were delivered on schedule between 2019 and 2023. They are continuously deployed on maritime search and rescue missions and onboard 702-class replenishment ships. The NH90 Sea Tiger represents the latest evolution of the NH90 NFH, offering world-leading capabilities for Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) and Anti-Surface Warfare (AsuW) missions. It has been specifically designed to match the needs of the German Navy for a state-of-the-art anti-submarine warfare helicopter. Novelties include a new Electro-Optical System and improved Electronic Support Measures (ESM). On top, the Sea Tiger is equipped with a dipping sonar, sonobuoys, and weapons (torpedoes and missiles). The shipborne Sea Tiger missions include, in addition to reconnaissance and transport, engaging targets above and below the surface. Those systems have been tested and qualified during different test campaigns in the Mediterranean Sea and North Sea.
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