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Saab’s Skeldar VTOL UAV has returned from deployed operations with the Spanish Navy, although the company is hopeful that further contracts will come to fruition. 

One system consisting of two aircraft was deployed to the Gulf of Aden as part of the EU Atalanta operation on-board the BAM Meteoro offshore patrol vessel with the Spanish Navy, and the deployment finished in November with equipment back in Sweden by December.

The three month operation was cut short, as permitted under the terms of the contract, due to the navy having completed its mission ahead of schedule. The deployment followed integration trials on-board the BAM Relámpago in the waters outside the Canary Islands.

‘This was a limited three month contract, but we hope to get a new contract for that,’ Hans Burgland, director of marketing for UAS and future products, told Shephard during the Singapore Airshow. 

Burgland said that feedback from the operation was that the wrong sensor system was chosen, and the company and navy would reassess the payload choice for any potential future contracts. The sensor used during the operations was a Goodrich Tase 400. 

‘For the new contract we’d offer a different sensor,’ he noted. ‘We had some technological issues at the beginning so didn’t start at the planned time.

‘The performance was pretty good,’ he affirmed. ‘It was a very good experience for us to fly off the ship.’

He said that there are programmes coming up in the Asia-Pacific region that Saab is targeting: ‘We have been bidding in Malaysia for example, and that has just not been decided on yet.’

Burgland adhered to contract signings that are expected to happen ‘this month’ although he could not offer further details. 

Meanwhile progress is being made with pitching the Skeldar to a domestic customer Sweden: ‘We hope to see a tender coming out in April,’ he noted. 

Saab is looking to test the Skeldar off the Swedish Navy’s Visby-class corvettes, although budget issues in Sweden have prevented a contract signing so far.

‘We would like to see Skeldar with the Swedish Navy when they go to Somalia,’ he said.  

On 11 February it was announced that the Schiebel S-100 Camcopter was due to be used by the Italian Navy in anti-piracy missions, which Burgland said is a test programme that Saab also hopes to carry out with the Italian Navy. 

‘We know what’s going on there any we’re talking to Italy,’ he said.

01/20/2014

(Infodefensa.com) GS Forte, Madrid - The Armada Spanish spent several years looking for an unmanned aircraft ( UAV , for its acronym in English) that can operate from their vessels with sufficient guarantees. So far it has not had any luck.

"Because of its high complexity, the market has not yet been able to develop such systems that are appropriate to us," he said last Thursday the Chief of Staff of the Navy , ( AJEMA ) General Admiral Jaime Muñoz-Delgado , during a meeting with the press.

So far, the Spanish Armada has tried to use the model Scan Eagle American fixed-wing aircraft that can operate from ships thanks to the special launch and recovery system. However, "finally has not been" explained AJEMA.

The most logical alternative is the use of a rotary wing system, since their capabilities Vertical takeoff and landing maneuvers facilitate these ships having platform for these operations, as with manned naval helicopters.

At this point, because "you always have to try before spending," added General Admiral, we have used the formula of the lease to check the operation of Skeldar developed by the Swedish company SAAB. And he has been operating in Operation Atalanta anti-piracy Spain takes on coalition off the coast of Somalia

An initial rental and subsequent acquisition system: From the beginning two phases in the process of obtaining a suitable UAV for the Navy were established. As explained in the publication Mission: Atalanta. The fight against piracy in the Indian , released last month by the Ministry of Defense , the Navy found that it lacked experience in UAVs and could not go for a model that proves suitable.

Thus, to prove it in a real environment, last summer the first UAV was deployed aboard the Maritime Action Ship Meteor with three objectives: minimizing the risk to staff, reducing the effort allocations helicopter and complement other means existing monitoring, as explained by the aforementioned publication.

The rental Skeldar V-200 , a device 600 kilos, has lasted until the end of 2013 and has cost 2.5 million euros, which has included instruction operators Armada and maintenance of equipment. And its deployment throughout last fall over the Indian and the coast of Somalia has earned the Navy reaching the milestone of becoming the first European to use Navy rotary wing systems in actual operations.

However, Skeldar has not proved to be the most appropriate solution. "We have not been very pleased with it," he acknowledged Thursday the Chief of Staff of the Navy.

Hope Pelican

In any case, these systems have served the Navy to gain experience in UAV operations, Muñoz-Delgado added, and the knowledge gained now lets you collaborate with the Spanish industry in national development: the Pelican , working in Indra .

The collaboration could end in an acquisition program, which would favor domestic industry, but that is a desirable future for both parties remains to be seen.

In any case, the form of cooperation that has been adopted, the Navy will have gained a better understanding of these systems, while developers Pelicano have more elements of improvement that will place you in a better position in the international market .

Currently, the Navy is "waiting for a UAV appears" to find it appropriate, be it national or manufacture.

09/04/2013

(Infodefensa.com) Madrid - Spain for the first time will use unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) in Somalia , Canarian waters after completing integration testing helicopter Skeldar V-200 of Saab on board maritime action Lightning .

The Spanish Navy reported that it is expected that since mid-September this unmanned aerial system becomes operational in Atalanta , fighting piracy in the Indian Ocean, aboard the ship Meteoro , patrol in the same class as the Relámpago .

"Thus, we conclude one of the milestones included in the first phase of the recruitment of unmanned aerial systems in the Navy," said Defense. According ahead Infodefensa.com , the Navy awarded the use of the UAV program embarked Swedish company Saab last June 26 by a negotiated procedure without publication. The resolution for the award, which involves your rent until the end of the year, noted that the total amount was 2.5 million euros. ( see news )

With the experience gained in the use of these systems during these tests and area of operations, the Navy plans to begin the second phase of the recruitment through the acquisition of ownership of a specific model of unmanned helicopter.

The Spanish Armada has spent several years looking for shipborne with sufficient guarantees. For the time being has not had luck.

So far, the Spanish Armada has attempted to use the model American Scan Eagle , an aircraft fixed wing which can operate from ships thanks to its particular launch and recovery system. However, "Finally it was not", said an informed source.

The most logical alternative is the use of a system of rotorcraft, as its vertical takeoff and landing capabilities facilitate these maneuvers on vessels equipped with platform for these operations, as it is the case with manned naval helicopters.

Thus, to test it in a real environment, last summer was deployed the first UAV aboard the maritime action ship Meteor with three objectives: minimize the risks for staff, reduce the effort of allocations of the helicopter and complement other existing means of monitoring, as it explains the publication.

Swedish Skeldar V-200, a unit of 600 kilos of weight, has lasted until the end of 2013, and resulted in a cost of 2.5 million euros, was included in which the operators of the Navy instruction and maintenance of the devices. And its deployment throughout all last fall over the Indian Ocean and the coast of Somalia has earned the Navy reaching the milestone of becoming the first European Navy rotary wing systems to use in actual operations.

However, the Skeldar has not proved to be the most appropriate solution. "We have not been very satisfied with it," acknowledged on Thursday the head of biggest State of the Navy.

Le constructeur suédois Saab a annoncé ce 15 novembre que la marine espagnole avait déployé le drone Skeldar V-200 en opérations. Le drone VTOL se trouve à présent à bord du patrouilleur BAM Meteoro et y effectue des missions de surveillance et de renseignement en « binôme » avec un hélicoptère, dans le cadre de l’opération anti-piraterie européenne Atalante, au large du Golfe d’Aden.

Le communiqué diffusé confirme une rumeur des médias espagnols de juillet dernier, alors que Saab avait annoncé la vente à l’export du Skeldar, sans toutefois avoir dévoilé le nom du client.

Selon Saab, le drone Skeldar V-200 peut voler jusqu’à 130km/h et possède une autonomie de cinq heures.- See more at: http://www.journal-aviation.com/actualites/24932-le-drone-skeldar-de-saab-deploye-pour-le-compte-de-la-marine-espagnole#sthash.kX4xbydm.dpuf

05/07/2013

(Infodefensa.com) Madrid - The Spanish Navy has acquired its first unmanned aerial system shipped to the Swedish company Saab AB for 2.5 million euros with a contract negotiated without advertising, as has been told Infodefensa.com . Apparently this is the model Skeldar V-200, 200 kilos of weight.

The Supply and Transport Directorate of the Navy awarded the employment program embarked unmanned aerial system (Pesante) on June 26 through a common processing and a negotiated procedure without advertisement.

The only award resolution states that the total amount was 2.5 million euros, but not specific model or delivery times (File 34/13).

Swiss Design

The Skeldar V-200 is a medium range UAV vertical deployment can be launched from the deck of any vessel and is able to provide any kind of intelligence with the appropriate sensors. Its development began in 2004 and the first prototype flew two years later. The V-200 version was available in 2008 with the idea of equipping class destroyers Burke of the U.S. Navy .

It measures four meters long, 1.2 meters wide and 1.3 high. The rotor has a diameter of 4.7 meters and can carry a maximum load of 40 kilos.

You can value to a maximum altitude of 4500 meters, has a top speed of 130 mph and a range of five hours of flight. Its maximum range greater than 100 kilometers and takes less than 15 minutes of preparation before being available for service.

It is operated by two or four players and can be controlled by the crew of a ship, which avoids having to rely on a specific computer.

Many candidates

Since mid-2010, the General Staff of the Navy identified the need to acquire drones shipped to the operational needs arising from their deployment in Operation Atalanta in the European Union off the coast of Somalia to eradicate piracy.

At first he studied all options from outright purchase to rental-purchase (leasing), but with this decision of the Navy commanders have favored the first, after an extensive evaluation process.

Several Spanish and foreign companies have been presented since then a variety of candidates, some developed in Spain. These have highlighted the Camcopter S-100 of the Austrian Schiebel by the Spanish Sener , the Scan Eagle of American Boeing and the Pelicano of Indra , among others.