S-100 Camcopter
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Camcopter S-100 Unmanned Aerial System
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The Camcopter S-100 is a medium-range, medium endurance unmanned aerial system designed, developed and manufactured by the Austrian company Schiebel GmbH. The Camcopter S-100 UAV System has been developed to carry various sensors for both military and civilian applications. This UAV can be launched automatically performing Vertical Take Off and Landing (VTOL), eliminating the need for special equipment and preparations at the launch and recovery sites. It was designed for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Army and the German Navy to perform a wide range of missions. The Camcopter S-100 is the first UAV to be showcased at the 2009 Le Bourget Air Show held in Paris, France. The S-100 has also been displayed at the ILA Berlin Air Show at Berlin Schonefeld airport in June 2010. Schiebel's Camcopter S-100 is actually in service in the UAE, as well as in China, Germany, Jordan, France, United States, Egypt, Italy, Lybia, and Russia (under license).
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The Campcopter S-100 has a rotorcraft design, which sports a "tear-drop" fuselage. The main portion of the fuselage contains the powerplant while the underside of the fuselage houses the different payload facilities. The undercarriage includes the tail skid as well as a pair of wheel-less forward main landing gear legs. The two-blade main rotor assembly sits against the fuselage spine while the two-blade tail rotor, used to counter the inherent torque rotation caused by the main rotor blades, is set to the portside of the UAV. Camcopter S-100 is made of composite materials with a reinforced internal structure. The S-100 presents a running length of 3.11 m with a width of 1.24 and a height of 1.2 m.
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Mobility
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The Camcopter S-100 is equipped with a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) system, which eliminates the need for automatic launch and recovery (ALR) equipment. The GPS wavepoints of the VTOL system are fully pre-programmed, allowing the UAV to fly in an autonomous mode or be manually operated by a pilot. The VTOL system offers fully automated take-off and landing even in adverse weather conditions, and reduces the need for operator training. The operator may intervene at any time and take over manual control of the system. Camcopter S-100 can also land on vessels with a helicopter deck without any additional landing equipment required. The Camcopter S-100 UAS is powered by a AER50 Wankel rotary engine, which produces a power of 50hp (41kW). The engine runs on 100 octane-grade avgas or 95 octane lead-free petrol. The drone can be optionally powered by Schiebel's heavy fuel engine, which supports the use of JP-5 (F-44), Jet A-1 (F-35) and JP-8 (F-34) fuels. On 9 June 2010, Schiebel announced its decision to incorporate an additional external fuel tank to the Camcopter S-100 UAV to increase its range, endurance and electrical power outputs.
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Payload equipment
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In its standard variant, the Camcopter S-100 UAV is equipped with electro-optical (EO) and infrared sensors, as well as thermal surveillance equipment. The EO sensor converts light rays into electronic signals for capturing images, real-time data and videos. It also features synthetic aperture radar (SAR), a ground moving target indicator (GMTI), a laser imaging radar (LIDAR) and a ground penetrating radar (GPR). The GPR is used to detect the mines. The S-100 UAV can optionnaly be fitted with maritime radar, communication relays, loudspeakers, transponders, Identification "Friend or Foe" (IFF) system, and dropping containers. The S-100 features platform and payload expansion capabilities, with two payload bays, an auxiliary electronics bay, as well as two side payload hardpoints and the ability to carry under-slung loads. It typical maximum capacity is 50 kg. The US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) awarded an $11.7m contract to CenTauri Solutions to examine the feasibility of the S-100 UAV in detecting the improvised explosive devices (IED). The project is known as 'Yellow Jacket'. In October 2009 CenTauri Solution awarded a sub-contract to Schiebel for supplying the S-100 UAV for the Counter IED project. At Euronaval 2014 in Paris, Schiebel showcased its Camcopter equipped with Selex ES' SAGE, an advanced digital Electronic Support Measures (ESM) which can provide an unparalleled geo-location capability from a single platform. SAGE can passively detect, identify and characterise emitters at less than 1°rms and cue other sensors, such as SAR, or be datalinked off-board to cue other entities.
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The S-100 UAV can be used for military and security operations, providing ground and maritime surveillance missions. The Camcopter S-100 is designed to perform a wide range of missions, such as route surveillance, signal intelligence (SIGINT), communication intelligence (COMINT), border patrol, counter measures - improvised explosive device, minefield mapping, convoy and protection, PSYOPS, damage assessment, etc. Schiebel's Camcopter is an unarmed drone, but it was displayed with the Lightweight Multirole Missile (LMM) system fixed to its starboard side, indicating that it might be able to perform combat missions beyond the usual reconnaissance and surveillance roles offered by other UAVs.
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