Indo-Pacific 2022: Schiebel nabs pole position for expedited UAV contract
Schiebel’s S-100 Camcopter has been selected to proceed as preferred choice for Project Sea 129 Phase 5 Block 1 of the Royal Australian Navy. (ADF)
To speed up acquisition, Australia has selected the Austrian-designed Camcopter for a naval UAV requirement.
Australia has selected a Raytheon Australia-led solution for a single-source acquisition of S-100 Camcopters for Project Sea 129 Phase 5 Block 1, a programme that seeks shipborne UAVs for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).
In a statement released by Schiebel on 4 May, the Austria-based company welcomed Canberra’s decision to ‘speed up the provision of its UAS capability’.
Australian officialdom calls it progressive industry engagement, but the sudden decision came as a surprise to both Raytheon and Scheibel. Raytheon Australia now has till August to submit its best offer, with a contract expected early in 2023.
By opting for
Already have an account? Log in
Want to keep reading this article?
More from Air Warfare
-
![Germany acquires additional 20 H145M helicopters]()
Germany acquires additional 20 H145M helicopters
The order for the extra helicopters comes from an agreement penned in December 2023, with the German Army receiving the bulk of the platforms.
-
![US Army command’s Picatinny CLIK common lethal drone interface makes progress]()
US Army command’s Picatinny CLIK common lethal drone interface makes progress
The Picatinny Common Lethality Integration Kit is designed to overcome the issue of unique integration methods between lethal payloads and drones as well as avoiding problematic acquisition conditions created by vendor lock.
-
![Australia invests extra A$1.4 billion in MQ-28A Ghost Bat after successful missile fire test]()
Australia invests extra A$1.4 billion in MQ-28A Ghost Bat after successful missile fire test
The investment includes new contracts for six MQ-28A Ghost Bat aircraft, as well as provisional funds to invest in the development of a Block 3 prototype.
-
![US approves potential $4.7 billion missile and air defence system sales to Denmark and Italy]()
US approves potential $4.7 billion missile and air defence system sales to Denmark and Italy
Italy could field the JASSM-ER for its combat aircraft including the F-35, while Denmark has been approved for AMRAAM and an Integrated Battle Command system procurement.
-
![Northrop Grumman to fly new Project Talon CCA by late 2026]()
Northrop Grumman to fly new Project Talon CCA by late 2026
The newly unveiled collaborative combat aircraft looks to strike a balance between capability and cost-effectiveness, according to the company.
