Airbus trials partnerships between helis and unmanned systems
Airbus has led a demonstration of the use of helicopters and unmanned aerial systems.
Airbus is trialling the use of helicopters and unmanned aerial systems for civil and military missions in partnership with various European firms.
The full-scale demonstration of a manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) system, developed as part of an EU-funded project code-named MUSHER, took place in France and Italy from September 30th to October 9th. The flights involved multiple crewed helicopters flying in association with unmanned systems connected to a single teaming system (MUM-T network).
Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters said: “Operating helicopters and unmanned aerial systems in concert provides valuable additional mission capabilities such as increased situational awareness with UAS sharing video in real time for improved decision-making, all while preserving critical assets and resources.”
Even added: “The success of the MUSHER demonstration is a major step forward for our ambition at Airbus which is to field MUM-T capabilities by bringing European industrial know-how together for the benefit of military and civil customers.”
Led by Airbus, the experiment included the H130 FlightLab as a manned platform and the VSR700 unmanned aerial system (UAS) on a DGA test range. Leonardo performed the demonstration with a helicopter and an optionally piloted vehicle. Thales, coordinator of the MUSHER project, provided a supervision station and a mission debriefing station. Space Applications Services led the mission preparation station.
Spanish air traffic management company Indra led simulation activities in preparation for the demonstration. French aerospace lab ONERA supplied studies on crew workload.
The demonstration flights consisted of various scenarios involving different aircraft flying simultaneously in France and in Italy. The missions were based on concepts of operations defined by the ministries of defence of France, Italy and Spain. One scenario focused on the teamwork between an unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and manned helicopters for an anti-piracy mission. Similar partnerships have been trialled between drones and helicopters flying search and rescue (SAR) flights.
The demonstration also proved that manned helicopters and UAS from different companies and different countries, operating in distant areas, could be integrated within a single MUM-T system, according to Airbus.
Meanwhile, read how Dave Stepanek, executive vice president and chief transformation officer, Bristow Group, thinks helicopters will work with AAM (Advanced Air Mobility) aircraft. “I think it’s going to be a long goodbye for helicopters,” Stepanek told Helicopter Investor last month.
