According to a report by Schiebel, a manufacturer of rotary-wing UAVs, the company has secured a grant agreement under the European Defense Fund (EDF) to advance solutions for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and seabed warfare (SBW).

The project, called SEACURE (Seabed and Anti-submarine warfare Capability through Unmanned feature for Europe), brings together 35 companies from 13 European countries. Its goal is to develop joint capabilities for ASW and SBW using unmanned aerial, surface, and underwater systems to protect critical maritime infrastructure. The project emphasizes detecting, identifying, classifying, and tracking underwater threats in complex conditions.

Schiebel’s new CAMCOPTER® S-300 UAV was selected as the leading unmanned aerial solution for the project. This platform, with a maximum weight of 700 kg, offers an endurance of over 24 hours with a camera-only payload or up to six hours with a heavy payload weighing 250 kg. The project is expected to culminate in a large-scale maritime trial by 2028.

Schiebel has long collaborated with Thales, particularly on ASW solutions based on the S-100 Camcopter model. However, the new S-300 model provides enhanced capabilities, including longer endurance and heavier payload capacity, expanding its potential for use in anti-submarine and seabed warfare operations.

“The SEACURE project aligns perfectly with the roadmap for our S-300,” said Hans Georg Schiebel, Chairman of Schiebel. “We are proud to be part of such a significant initiative.”

Image - Israel Defense/Schiebel