UMS Skeldar press release
Ultra Maritime and UMS SKELDAR are pleased to announce that they have been awarded a 2nd Phase contract under the Canadian Department of National Defence’s Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security program, which will explore the development of a Rotary Wing UAS to provide an ASW sonobuoy dispensing capability, based on the SKELDAR V-200 UAS.
This innovative program will review how a medium-sized UAS can be used to deploy sonobuoys for the purpose of tracking potentially hostile submarines operating in the open ocean or close to coastal areas that could pose a threat to the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) or other forces.
“We are constantly reviewing new technologies to determine how they can be used to tackle the threat from hostile submarines. The scope of this program is to evaluate the technical and operational feasibility of deploying sonobuoys from a Class II Rotary Wing UAS, to provide the warfighter with another tool in the ASW toolbox.”
Andrew Anderson, Chief Technology Officer, Ultra Sonar Systems.
“ We are delighted to be a part of this contract with Ultra. Using Rotary Unmanned Aircraft Systems to help conduct ASW will provide many benefits, not least enabling rapid deployment capabilities, a smaller logistical footprint on Canadian Armed Forces ships and a cost-effective alternative to current methods. At UMS we are proud of our innovation leadership when it comes to advances in rotary-wing UAS platforms. Our SKELDAR V-200 platform is a prime example of this, with a capability of completing remote automatic flights, exceeding six-hour flight times thanks to the robust heavy fuel engine and the ability to provide a high degree of maintainability and minimum turn-around times. These credentials we believe are the perfect fit for this program.”
Richard Hjelmberg, Vice President Business Development for UMS SKELDAR
The SKELDAR V-200 has advanced intelligence-gathering capabilities when equipped with multiple sensors. Flight times can exceed six hours, and the heavy-fuel engine combined with efficient maintenance procedures and ease of access to the engine compartment allow for highly efficient routine service processes.
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About UMS SKELDAR V-200
The UMS Skeldar V-200 is a medium-range VTOL (Vertical Take Off and Landing) UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) developed by Swedish aerospace company Saab. The Skeldar can be used for surveillance, intelligence gathering, light cargo transport and electronic warfare.
The SKELDAR V-200 – incorporating Saab technology – can carry multiple payloads including powerful EO/IR gimbals coupled with optical radar and AIS transponder.
The system provides real-time information to a Remote Pilot Station (RPS) or to a remote video terminal. Launched from historically difficult locations such as the deck of a ship, a travelling convoy or other small stationery areas, Skeldar V-200 is designed to provide real-time intelligence and surveillance as a force multiplier for land, civil security and maritime applications. This compact solution is fully automated, controlled by high-level-commands such as “Point-and-Fly” and “Point-and-See”.
Technical Specifications
- Rotor diameter: 4.6 m (15 ft)
- Airframe length: 4 m (13 ft)
- Width: 1.3 m (4.2 ft)
- Height: 1.2 m (4 ft)
- Payload capacity: Multiple
- MTOW: 235 kg (518 lbs)
- Data Link Range: 100 km, 200 km (54 NM, 108 NM)
- Service ceiling: 3000 m (9842 ft)
- Max airspeed: 140 km/h (75.6 kts)
- Endurance: 5 hours ( Subject to Payload configuration)
