Under the Hub for European Defence Innovation (HEDI), EDA has established the “Autonomous Systems for Cross-Domain Logistics (Air and Land)” programme and selected Schiebel’s CAMCOPTER S-100 for the heavy-lift Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) Unmanned Air System category.
The large-scale initiative hosted by the Italian Army will focus on collaborative experimentation of UAS and Unmanned Ground Systems (UGS). In June and July 2025, several simulated missions, e.g. last-mile resupply in hostile environments, will be demonstrated. The CAMCOPTER S-100 was selected for the above 50kg payload category, and will conduct the trials together with two smaller UAS and three UGS.
The role of autonomous systems in today’s military is increasingly requiring interoperability, particularly for cross-domain operations and logistical support, significantly enhancing efficiency and effectiveness in challenging environments.
HEDI aims at accelerating and streamlining the integration of emerging technologies into military applications through immersive operational and technical field testing in a collaborative and agile environment.
“This programme, which is the first of its kind by EDA, closely follows three other tenders won by Schiebel in the European Union, including a new contract for the European Maritime Safety Agency, as well as the European Defence Fund’s SEACURE and OPTIMAS consortiums. With its unrivalled experience, maturity and proven performance, the S-100 is the logical choice and we’re looking forward to showcase our capabilities at the upcoming experimentation,” said Hans Georg Schiebel, Chairman of the Schiebel Group.
