MARIGNANE, France - Airbus in Toulouse, France, announced it has been selected by the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) to provide Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) services for multipurpose maritime surveillance using its Flexrotor uncrewed aerial system (UAS). The contract's value is €30 million - about $35 million.
Under the contract, Airbus will supply turnkey RPAS services to support coast guard missions, including extended coastal surveillance and long-endurance operations. The award marks the first operational deployment of Flexrotor in Europe, the company said.
Data integration
The core service includes flight operations using the Flexrotor system to deliver electro-optical and infrared imagery, as well as radar data. According to Airbus, the data will be streamed to the EMSA RPAS Data Center, enabling relevant national authorities in participating countries to follow flights in real time.
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The services will support coast guard operations such as search and rescue, fisheries control, environmental protection, and the detection of illicit maritime activities.
Flexrotor operations under the contract will support national authorities in European Union member states, as well as Norway and Iceland, and relevant EU institutions. The contract allows for two parallel operations, with takeoff sites located in any participating country, and the option to add additional parallel operations upon request.
The initial framework contract covers two years and includes options for two additional one-year extensions, for a maximum duration of four years. Service is scheduled to begin in 2026. Flight operations will be conducted by the French service provider Extensee.
Flexrotor details
Flexrotor is a vertical takeoff and landing uncrewed aircraft with a maximum launch weight of 25 kilograms, or about 55 pounds. Airbus said the system is designed for intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance missions lasting 12 to 14 hours in a typical configuration and up to 10 hours in the EMSA configuration. The aircraft can carry multiple payloads, including electro-optical systems and other advanced sensors, and can autonomously launch and recover from land or sea using a 3.7-by-3.7-meter area.
"We are proud to partner with the European Maritime Safety Agency on this turnkey contract, which allows the Flexrotor to fly operationally for the first time in Europe and to serve the critical mission of enhancing maritime surveillance," said Victor Gerin-Roze, head of uncrewed aerial systems at Airbus Helicopters. "We have conducted multiple demonstration flights with the Flexrotor across Europe, showcasing its long endurance and the variety of systems it can carry, which is unique for a UAS of this size."
