Airbus Helicopters has validated the ability of a H135 helicopter crew to control multiple uncrewed aerial platforms in real time during a tactical maritime exercise with the Spanish Navy off Rota, Spain.
The trial, conducted earlier this month, integrated a Spanish Navy H135 helicopter with the offshore patrol vessel Rayo and two drones — the Airbus Flexrotor and Alpha Unmanned Systems’ A900 — using the HTeaming tablet, Airbus Helicopters’ modular crewed-uncrewed teaming solution.
During the exercise, both platforms conducted take-offs and landings from the moving vessel. A pilot aboard the H135 managed both drones in flight using the HTeaming tablet, which demonstrated platform agnosticism by successfully integrating the third-party A900 alongside the Flexrotor.
The exercise scenario simulated a high-speed boat chase during an intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) maritime operation. The Flexrotor and A900 tracked the simulated target and transmitted live footage simultaneously to both the helicopter and the ship, validating real-time imagery sharing across crewed and uncrewed assets.
Data from the drones was processed through Airbus’s Helicopter Integrated Tactical System, a tactical console that acted as a data bridge to the vessel. This ensured compatibility with NAIAD — Navantia’s Naval Advanced Integrated Autonomous Vehicles Defence system, which provides tactical integration for unmanned vehicles — and with SCOMBA, the Spanish Navy’s combat management system, enabling command, control and interoperability of aerial, surface and underwater assets.
Fernando Lombo, managing director of Airbus Helicopters in Spain said, “The collaboration between Airbus, Navantia, and Alpha Unmanned Systems, combined with the trust of public entities like the Spanish Navy, shows our shared potential to strengthen Europe’s role as a sovereign leader in defence. By working together, we are proving that we can deliver the innovative technology necessary to secure a leading position on the global stage.”
Airbus said future development will explore drone swarm technology and further integration between air, sea and land assets.
