Airbus Helicopters and the French Armament General Directorate (DGA) have tested the unmanned aerial system (UAS) VSR700 for the first time in an operational configuration from a ship at sea. At the beginning of May, the VSR700 performed 80 fully autonomous take-offs and landings from a civil vessel equipped with a helicopter deck, cruising off the coast of Brittany in the west of France.
“This flight test campaign was an important step for the VSR700 programme as it allowed us to validate the excellent performance of the drone in operational conditions, which were representative of its future missions,” said Nicolas Delmas, Head of the VSR700 programme at Airbus Helicopters. “The VSR700 prototype opened its flight envelope in winds above 40 knots, accumulated eight hours of testing in 14 flights and made successful landings in several different sea states,” he added.
In 2022, the autonomous take-off and landing capabilities of the VSR700 were tested from the same vessel using an optionally piloted vehicle (OPV) based on a modified Guimbal Cabri G2 equipped with the autonomous take-off and landing (ATOL) system developed for the VSR700. This time the test campaign took place with the SDAM demonstrator and fully validated the capabilities of the system as part of the SDAM (Système de Drone Aérien pour la Marine) study that was awarded to Airbus Helicopters and Naval Group in 2017.
Autonomous take-off and landing capabilities are a key asset of the VSR700 and are made possible with the use of the Airbus DeckFinder system. This enables autonomous launch and recovery of unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) with an accuracy of 10-20cm during challenging operations in harsh environmental conditions, independent of GNSS/GPS and regardless of degraded visual conditions.
AviTrader sponsorship ad
Airbus Helicopters tests VSR700 for first time in operational configuration at sea
Share this Article
Thursday June 4, 2026
TAT Technologies (TAT) has secured several new long-term MRO agreements with international passenger and cargo airlines, representing an estimated combined value of approximately US$45 million. The contracts span periods of five to ten years. The newly awarded... Read More »
Thursday June 4, 2026
Magnetic MRO has expanded its Pratt & Whitney (P&W) maintenance approval, enabling the company to support a wider range of PW1000G-series engines used on Airbus A320neo-family aircraft. The move strengthens the company’s position in the European main... Read More »
Thursday June 4, 2026
Alaska Air Group has appointed Mike Sievert to its board of directors. Sievert is the former Chief Executive Officer of T-Mobile and currently serves as vice chairman of the company’s board. During his tenure as CEO, Sievert led a period of substantial growt... Read More »
Thursday June 4, 2026
ACC Aviation has completed two independent aviation due diligence and credit assessment mandates, supporting major aviation financing initiatives in emerging markets. The assignments underline ACC Aviation’s growing ability to support lenders, lessors, inves... Read More »
Thursday June 4, 2026
Azorra has delivered the first of two ATR 42-600 aircraft to Dallas-based public charter carrier JSX, marking the start of a new customer relationship and further strengthening Azorra’s presence in the North American market. The ATR 42-600’s performance ca... Read More »
Thursday June 4, 2026
Liebherr-Aerospace (Liebherr) and Loong Air have entered into a long-term partnership under which Liebherr-Aerospace will provide major repair and re-coring services for heat transfer equipment across the airline’s Airbus A320ceo and A320neo fleet. The re-co... Read More »
Wednesday June 3, 2026
On June 2, Saab unveiled the first Gripen F fighter aircraft destined for the Brazilian Air Force during a rollout ceremony held at the company’s facilities in Linköping, Sweden. The Gripen F is the two-seat variant of the Gripen E and has been developed to... Read More »
Wednesday June 3, 2026
GE Aerospace has completed testing of a megawatt-class hybrid-electric engine system developed under NASA’s Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration (EPFD) project, clearing the way for future flight tests. The ground test marked the company’s first val... Read More »
Wednesday June 3, 2026
AerFin has reached a significant milestone in its A320neo programme, surpassing 9,000 removed components following the teardown of eight aircraft in France and the Philippines. The high-demand material has now been strategically positioned across the company... Read More »
Wednesday June 3, 2026
Collins Aerospace (Collins) has officially opened a major expansion of its manufacturing facility in Tajęcina, Poland, reinforcing its commitment to growing aerospace production capacity in the country. The US$69 million investment has increased the site’s ... Read More »
Wednesday June 3, 2026
Qantas’ first Airbus A350-1000ULR for Project Sunrise has completed its maiden test flight, marking a major milestone ahead of the launch of the airline’s non-stop services from Australia’s east coast to London and New York. Operated by two Airbus test p... Read More »
Wednesday June 3, 2026
The Board of Airline Representatives in Germany (BARIG) has welcomed Türkiye-based Freebird Airlines as its newest member. Marking 25 years of operations in 2026, Freebird Airlines serves more than 120 destinations alongside its Malta-registered sister carrie... Read More »
Tuesday June 2, 2026
Brazil’s Azul Linhas Aéreas (Azul) has confirmed an order for four additional Airbus A330-900 aircraft, reinforcing the A330neo as the backbone of its future long-haul fleet. The order was previously listed as undisclosed and takes the airline’s A330neo b... Read More »
Tuesday June 2, 2026
Bell Textron has delivered a new Bell 407GXi helicopter to the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), following the purchase announcement made at Verticon earlier this year. Celebrating 75 years at its Fort Worth, Texas headquarters, Bell continues to suppor... Read More »
Tuesday June 2, 2026
International Airlines Group (IAG) has announced a new commercial agreement between Aer Lingus and AISmartPlan, an AI-powered aircraft maintenance planning platform, following a successful collaboration through the IAGi Accelerator programme. AISmartPlan joine... Read More »
Tuesday June 2, 2026
StandardAero’s Board of Directors has appointed Paul McElhinney, a 35-year aerospace industry veteran and StandardAero’s current Lead Independent Director, as Chief Executive Officer (CEO). He will succeed Russel Ford who will retire after 13 years lea... Read More »
Tuesday June 2, 2026
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has reported a decline in global passenger demand for April 2026, as the ongoing conflict in the Middle East continued to disrupt international air travel and push up operating costs. Total passenger demand, m... Read More »
Tuesday June 2, 2026
Honeywell has revealed the new brand identities for its automation and aerospace businesses as it prepares to separate into two independent, publicly traded companies on June 29, 2026. The move marks a major milestone in the company’s transformation and foll... Read More »
Monday June 1, 2026
Vietjet Air (Vietjet) and the Eastern Economic Corridor Office (EECO) of Thailand have signed an agreement to develop an aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) centre at U-Tapao International Airport. The signing took place during Vietnamese leader To... Read More »
Monday June 1, 2026
Romania’s Ministry of Internal Affairs is strengthening its aerial emergency response capabilities with the acquisition of two Leonardo C-27J Spartan tactical transport aircraft under the SAFE (Security Action for Europe) programme. The investment is designe... Read More »
Aviation News Categories
2026 MEDIA KIT
Tamar Jorssen
tamar.jorssen@avitrader.com
Phone: +1 (778) 213 8543
Malte Tamm
malte.tamm@avitrader.com
Phone: +49 (0)162 8263049