Wedgetail Aerospace, supported by Schiebel Pacific, successfully obtained the approval from the Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) to operate the Schiebel CAMCOPTER S-100 Unmanned Air System (UAS) in civil airspace. It is the first large (>150 kg) Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) UAS to attain this civil approval from the Australian authorities.
Wedgetail Aerospace, in close cooperation with Schiebel Pacific and the Australian authorities, completed the process to achieve their experimental approval with a series of flight demonstrations in Western Australia. This endorsement enables the S-100 to operate in Australian civil airspace. Possible applications now being pursued include fire and disaster monitoring, cargo delivery, as well as inspections and surveillance.
Additionally, Wedgetail Aerospace is a CASA approved training organisation and will offer an S-100 license for civil operations. Of note, the S-100 is regularly flying under a Defence Aviation Safety Agency (DASA) UAS permit, which the Royal Australian Navy obtained back in 2017 for their S-100 operations.
“This is a significant milestone for Schiebel Pacific and its Australian RPAS operations. The CASA approval enables us to offer the outstanding capabilities of the CAMCOPTER S-100 system to the civil sector. With strong local partners, our wealth of experience in the operation of the S-100 and now with the approval of CASA, we are very well positioned for the Australian commercial market,” said Fabian Knechtl, Managing Director at Schiebel Pacific.
“Wedgetail Aerospace are delighted to have been able to work with Schiebel to achieve the first approval in Australia to operate a Large Category UAS and will now bring this transformational technology to the commercial market”, said Thomas Symes CEO of Wedgetail Aerospace.
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To bad our Politicians and DoD couldn’t see the advantages of this piece of kit. Seems everybody else has. Maybe they should stick a Made in the USA sticker on it.
Interesting that it’s now going into service with the RN but apparently not good enough for the RAN although they have no alternative and were happy with how it was working.
It’s a total mystery why the RAN cancelled the deal. As I have written elsewhere, surely it’s better to have a functioning UAS on board ships rather than nothing at all.
Just announced as winning a contract for supply of their S-300 to the South Korean Navy and Marines.
Good enough for our allies but not apparently good enough for the RAN who apparently think nothing is better than something.