Schiebel Test Flies CAMCOPTER S-300 in France

CAMCOPTER S-300 | Photo: Schiebel

Schiebel has completed an initial flight test campaign of its CAMCOPTER S-300 unmanned air system in France, the company said on December 18. The flights were carried out at the CESA Drones test site in Sainte-Hélène near Bordeaux and marked the first S-300 flight activities conducted in the country.

According to Schiebel, the campaign expanded the operational flight envelope of the S-300 and brought the programme to a total of 100 accumulated flight hours. The tests were conducted in a military environment and focused on assessing basic flight characteristics and overall system performance.

“France has been a trusted partner for Schiebel for many years, making it a natural location for the next phase of CAMCOPTER S-300 flight activities,” said Hans Georg Schiebel, Chairman of the Schiebel Group. “Our long-standing relationship with the French Navy and our local presence through Schiebel Aéronaval SAS reflect our deep roots in France, while the S-300 is being developed to meet the requirements of international military and government users worldwide, building on Schiebel’s global experience in unmanned aviation.”

During the test flights, the S-300 underwent evaluations typical for an unmanned air system at this stage of development. These included assessments of handling qualities, flight control response, and general aircraft behaviour.

The CAMCOPTER S-300 is derived from the CAMCOPTER S-100, which Schiebel says has accumulated several hundred thousand flight hours in service worldwide. The S-300 is intended to offer higher payload capacity and longer endurance for military and government missions.

Schiebel said the S-300 is designed for a range of applications, including intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance, cargo delivery, and maritime operations. The aircraft uses a vertical take-off and landing configuration and can be operated using the same ground control station as the S-100.