Schiebel Pacific opens new facility and cooperates with Air Affairs Australia.

One year after its foundation, Schiebel Pacific Pty Ltd (SPL) celebrates the opening of its new office and workshop at the Albatross Aviation Technical Park (AATP) in Yerriyong, New South Wales, and announces its cooperation with Air Affairs Australia Pty Ltd (AAA).

(Picture Source: Schiebel)

This new SPL facility at the AATP firmly establishes Schiebel in Australia and allows for further expansion as the company grows over the next years. It puts SPL in close proximity to its customer, the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) at HMAS Albatross and provides direct access to the airfield. It also facilitates close cooperation with its next-door neighbour and new partner, AAA, who is an established provider of equipment and services to the Australian Defense Force, major government departments and multinational companies.

As part of the memorandum of understanding, SPL and AAA agree to collaborate on the compilation and submission of a request for tender responses for Remotely Piloted Aerial System (RPAS) opportunities in Australia and the Pacific region, as well as the subsequent close cooperation in contract delivery, support and services.

As a mature and proven capability for shipborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), Schiebel’s CAMCOPTER® S-100 is currently under contract for the Navy Minor Project (NMP) 1942. This evaluation program aims to develop the RAN’s understanding of the capabilities of an advanced Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) Tactical Unmanned Air System (TUAS). SPL is working closely with the RAN on achieving all the goals of the project, while simultaneously preparing for the upcoming tenders for LAND and SEA 129.

In parallel, to help develop doctrine and future requirements, as well as gain further insight into future TUAS capabilities and payloads, the Royal Australian Army has contractually leased the CAMCOPTER® S-100 to conduct a series of advanced payload evaluations. The Army testing focuses on multiple payloads, including the L3 Wescam

MX-10, ELTA Systems’ state-of-the-art ELK-7065 Compact Airborne HF COMINT/DF 3D System, Overwatch’s Multi-Spectrum Imaging TK-5 and Leonardo’s PicoSAR radar. The most recent S-100 activities will culminate in the participation in Australia’s largest joint high-end warfighting exercise, Talisman Sabre 2019. The S-100 provides the Australian Army with the latest VTOL Multi-Role Multi-Environment (MRME) TUAS capability.