Airbus and France Seal VSR700 Agreement
Sébastien Lecornu, the French Minister for the Armed Forces, has signed a framework agreement with Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters, and Marie-Laure Bourgeois, Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing at Naval Group. This agreement concerns the future acquisition of uncrewed aerial systems for the Navy, known as Systèmes de Drone Aérien pour la Marine (SDAM). Additionally, the agreement facilitates cooperation with other nations through government-to-government contracts.
Each SDAM will be equipped with an Airbus uncrewed aerial system (UAS), identified by plate number VSR700, and operated using Naval Group’s Steeris Mission System. Naval Group is also in charge of integrating the SDAMs onto French Navy frigates. The Steeris Mission System, which has undergone 15 years of research and development, is a proven solution designed for effective integration into naval combat systems.
“This framework agreement is a key milestone for the VSR700 programme,” said Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters.
“With our partners we have demonstrated the VSR700’s capabilities at sea with multiple demonstrations including one on board a French Navy frigate,” he added.
“Furthermore, with this programme we are building a local and sovereign UAS ecosystem that will benefit both our home nations and our partners across the globe,” he explained. “VSR700 is a truly versatile system that could be used in many different environments as evidenced by the armed scout version on display at the Paris Air Show.”
“This signature is a testimony to the teamwork achieved with our partners and to Naval Group’s expertise in integrating all types of drones on board surface ships to improve the operational capabilities of our client navies” said Pierre Eric Pommellet, Chairman and CEO of Naval Group.
The framework agreement establishes the foundation for adding partner nations to the program. The French Armament General Directorate (DGA) has officially invited other countries worldwide to join. Through a government-to-government contract, these nations can order the system in a configuration similar to the one chosen by the DGA for the French Navy.
The serial numbers VSR700 that will be delivered to the French Navy are specifically designed for surveillance and intelligence missions, similar to the VSR700 prototypes that have been tested to advance the SDAM program. This configuration includes a radar, electro-optical, and Automatic Identification System (AIS) receiver. The VSR700 is engineered to take off and land automatically from a naval vessel, even in rough sea conditions and dense electromagnetic environments, while carrying three sensors and maintaining flight for more than eight hours.
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