Airbus Flexrotor

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Airbus Helicopters acquired Aerovel Corporation and its UAS (unmanned aerial system) Flexrotor in 2024 as part of a strategy to strengthen its portfolio of tactical unmanned solutions. Aerovel developed and manufactured the Flexrotor, the most advanced Group 2 small tactical unmanned aerial system (STUAS) with vertical take-off and landing (VTOL).  

Designed according to demanding reliability requirements of the US Department of Defense (DOD), the Flexrotor unmanned aerial vehicle can be used for a range of intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) missions both on land and at sea. The unmanned aircraft is also suitable for civil applications such as weather reconnaissance, geological survey, environmental monitoring, fishery surveillance, and offshore patrol. It offers a combination of small size, large payload/range, economy, autonomy, and basing flexibility. 

The Flexrotor is a Group 2 small tactical vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) uncrewed aircraft system (UAS). It has a maximum take-off weight of 25 kg (55 lbs) and is designed for Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions for more than 12-14 hours in a typical operational configuration. 
It can integrate different types of payloads, including an electro-optical system and advanced sensors to suit customers’ unique mission needs. With the ability to autonomously launch and recover from either land or at sea requiring only a 3.7 by 3.7 m (12 by 12 ft.) area, the Flexrotor is ideal for expeditionary missions requiring minimal footprint. 

 
Multi-mission capable
Flexrotor delivers long endurance and high space weight and power (SWaP), enabling the expeditionary UAS to operate a wide array of sensors and capabilities. It can operate from confined land areas and from ships without flight decks, and its expeditionary capability makes it easy to transport and to go from stowed to airborne in less than 30 minutes.

Missions include:
– ISTAR
– Maritime warfare (signal Intelligence, electronic warfare, communications relay)
– Search and rescue 
– Parapublic (firefighting, humanitarian missions, border security)
– Civil applications (precision agriculture, geo mapping, wildlife observation & marine science)
 
 
Paris Airshow 2025 – Flexrotor
Flexrotor

 

PO Box 1536

White Salmon, WA 98672

info@airbus.com

https://www.airbus.com/en/products-services/defence/uas/flexrotor