Airbus Secures 30 Million Euro Contract from European Maritime Agency
The European Maritime Safety Agency has awarded Airbus a 30 million euro framework contract for drone-based maritime surveillance services. The system is based on the Flexrotor, an unmanned vertical take-off aircraft.
Contract Details
The contract signed between EMSA and Airbus includes the provision of remotely piloted aircraft system services for versatile maritime surveillance missions, the group states. The initial agreement spans two years, with the option for two additional one-year periods, potentially extending the total duration to four years. According to the release, operations are expected to start in 2026 and will be conducted by the French provider Extensee. The system can be deployed simultaneously at two launch sites in any participating country, with flexibility to add additional parallel operations on demand.
Service Features
The offered services include flight operations using the Flexrotor system, with the transmission of electro-optical, infrared, and radar images, the company specifies. These data will be streamed live to EMSA's RPAS data center, used by the competent national authorities of the member states to monitor the flights in real time. According to the group, the surveillance capabilities of the Flexrotor will directly support coast guard operations, including search and rescue missions, fisheries control, environmental protection, and the detection of illegal maritime activities. The national authorities of the EU member states, Norway, and Iceland, as well as the relevant European institutions, will benefit from these services.
Technical Specifications of the Flexrotor
The Flexrotor is an unmanned aircraft with vertical take-off and landing capabilities, weighing 25 kg at take-off, designed for intelligence and surveillance missions, Airbus indicates. In a typical operational configuration, it can fly for over 12 to 14 hours, and 10 hours in the EMSA configuration, according to the release. The device can integrate various types of payloads, including electro-optical systems and advanced sensors tailored to the specific needs of the missions. The drone is capable of autonomous take-off and landing from land or sea, requiring only a 3.7 meters by 3.7 meters surface, the group specifies. This marks the first operational use of the Flexrotor in Europe, highlighted Victor Gerin-Roze, head of unmanned aerial systems at Airbus Helicopters.
