The SDAM demonstrator successfully tested on board a French Navy frigate
Naval Group and Airbus Helicopters have tested, in collaboration with the Directorate General of Armaments (DGA) and the French Navy, the SDAM (Marine Aerial Drone System) demonstrator integrated and implemented from a multi-mission frigate (FREMM ). The tests took place in the Mediterranean from October 2 to 9 aboard the French Navy's multi-mission frigate Provence , previously adapted by Naval Group to accommodate the SDAM. The aim of these sea trials was to demonstrate the ability to implement and properly operate this new naval aerial drone system, embarked on a combat ship, as well as its capabilities for surveillance and intelligence missions at sea.
“We are proud to see the SDAM, and the VSR700, maturing,” said Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters. “The objective of the system that we will ultimately propose is to be capable of implementation on a frigate and adapted to the missions that are envisaged. We hope to have demonstrated all the operational added value of this system,” he added. “By working with Naval Group and our other local partners we are building a robust and sovereign solution. I hope that we will still have the opportunity in the future to demonstrate the possibilities offered by our system and to work with the French Navy to offer it a first operational capacity from 2026.”
“We are delighted with the success of these tests which are an important step in the program and in the future strengthening of the operational capabilities of the French Navy. Here we have reached an important milestone in terms of the complexity of physical and functional integration of aerial drones into a heavily armed vessel,” declared Pierre-Eric Pommellet, CEO of Naval Group. “These tests also demonstrated the relevance of Naval Group’s I4Drones® mission system and the fact that the SDAM demonstrator can be integrated “seamlessly” and evolve in cohabitation with the ship’s other systems. In synergy with the ship's combat system and in addition to the on-board helicopter, the drone will be a means of additional access to the airspace and a real "remote sensor" which will allow crews to significantly increase their perception and processing threats in real time. »
The risk reduction study for the SDAM program entrusted to Airbus Helicopters and Naval Group by the DGA provided for the design, production and implementation of a rotary wing drone system demonstrator for the French Navy. This system uses the VSR700 rotary wing drone from Airbus Helicopters and the I4Drones® mission system developed by Naval Group, which is also responsible for system integration work on board military ships. The project also involves several French SMEs such as the companies Hélicoptères Guimbal and Diades, thus contributing to the creation of a sovereign sector of naval aerial drone systems.
The SDAM was designed to be able to be operated from a frigate in addition to the on-board helicopter. It implements, in this first maritime surveillance configuration requested by the armies, a maritime surveillance radar, an electro-optical system and an AIS (automatic identification system) receiver. The simultaneous implementation and operation of these different sensors in flight in a naval environment allows the establishment of an extended tactical situation, capable of enriching the perception of a combat ship. With flight endurance greater than that of a manned aircraft, it also makes it possible to extend the duration and frequency of surveillance missions.
Derived from the two-seater Cabri G2 helicopter from the Guimbal company, the VSR700 has a maximum takeoff weight of around 700 kg. It is one of the rare drones in the world that can carry three sensors allowing detection and identification missions to be carried out simultaneously. Thanks to the Deck Finder system developed by Airbus, the VSR700 can carry out precision takeoffs and landings without the intervention of a remote pilot, even in degraded weather conditions. It can thus be used even in rough seas.
I4Drones®, Naval Group's multi-environment multi-drone mission system allows the management of complex drone missions and is natively designed to interface with the combat direction systems of the targeted ships. This mission system is capable of preparing and managing the drone mission from end to end, covering the three key phases: mission preparation, implementation of payloads and exploitation of data, recovery and restitution of assignment. Embedded on a surface vessel or submarine, this system can also be deployed in a command center on land. Thanks to I4Drones®, SDAM mission management is facilitated to gain efficiency and increase interoperability between the ship and the drone.
The SDAM program concretizes the alliance of the expertise of Naval Group and Airbus Helicopters, in order to provide a sovereign onboard aerial drone capability to the French Navy's first-rate ships.
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