The S-100 Camcopter, a product of Austrian-based company Schiebel, is a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) platform that can employ many different payloads to be used in many different roles. In simpler terms, it’s a remote-controlled helicopter. 

Officer in Charge Navy Unmanned Aircraft System Development Unit Lieutenant Commander Ben Crowther said it was the first time navy had looked at such an aircraft.

“The aircraft operates outside the range of the organic sensors of the platform it is operating from and in turn frees up the manned aircraft,” he said.

“It also mitigates the risk of having a human there in the potentially dangerous environment.”

The aircraft is controlled by a team on the ground or ship and the system allows crews to keep rotating, so it can theoretically stay on task, indefinitely.

There is also the ability to conduct relief operations with multiple unmanned aircraft.

Commander Fleet Air Arm Commodore Vince Di Pietro said this was the way of the future.

“It’s really important to understand how we can get both aircraft working together,” he said.

“There are things this can do for us that we traditionally did with a manned platform. We wouldn’t want to be wasting precious hours and manpower when what you want is an eye in the sky, listening, looking and learning where things are.”

The small aircraft and its supporting hardware could easily be fitted to a frigate or a platform as small as a patrol boat or hydrographic survey vessel.

The entire system of two airframes, ground control units, antennae and tools fits into a small shipping container.

Commodore Pietro said the craft could have multiple roles.

“In the silent hours or while the crew are resting or the aircraft is being maintained, this thing can be out there doing the listening and looking. You have the best of both worlds.”