Perth, Australia-based start-up Drone Forge has agreed to acquire six Airbus Helicopters Flexrotor uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) comprising a total of 17 aircraft. The aircraft are intended for a range of operational requirements in the Asia-Pacific region, including littoral surveillance, inland high-altitude surveys, maritime environment assessment, and infrastructure monitoring.
Each vehicle will be powered by a heavy-fuel engine that provides greater safety, fuel availability, and interoperability in the maritime environment for which they are optimized.
Starlink connectivity allows for over-the-horizon operation, and the vehicles will incorporate PT-6 imaging technology for high-resolution intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) and wide-area maritime monitoring. The order follows a letter of intent to collaborate on the deployment and operational integration of the UAS.
Flexrotor has a maximum launch weight of 55 pounds and, in typical operation, can conduct autonomous ISR missions of 12 to 14 hours endurance and return to land on a 12-by-12-foot area. A variety of payload options is available.
Airbus and Singapore’s Defence Science and Technology Agency announced on Wednesday that an agreement had been signed covering the development of crewed-uncrewed teaming operations and the exploration of how they can improve situational awareness during missions.
Airbus will integrate its HTeaming modular crewed-uncrewed teaming system aboard a Republic of Singapore Air Force Airbus H225M helicopter, allowing the crew to take control of Flexrotor air vehicles. The H225M is in use by the RSAF for a range of missions, including overwater operations such as search and rescue.