UMS SKELDAR, Europe’s leading provider of Unmanned Aircraft Systems, has announced at IndoPacific that it is preparing for a series of comprehensive in-country flight demonstrations of its market-leading SKELDAR V-200 solution to key stakeholders in the greater Australasia region throughout 2024. The SKELDAR V-200 platform is an unmanned Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) system trusted by NATO and Five-Eyes forces. The V-200 is UMS SKELDAR’s star offering, with a model available to view at IndoPacific on the Saab Australia stand (3K6).

UMS Skeldar is excited to build on momentum developed after DSEI, where two key technology development partnerships were announced. The first of these was a new Battlefield Deployable Uncrewed Aerial System (BDUAS), which has been developed in collaboration with Marshall Land Systems. The second was a collaboration between UMS SKELDAR, the Canadian Government and Ultra Maritime to provide an Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) capability uplift for the V-200. Further detail is below.

The SKELDAR V-200 is an advanced Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) renowned for supporting some of the most challenging tactical maritime and overland scenarios for customers. Its rugged components are designed to operate in adverse weather conditions, and it incorporates ship-based Automatic Take-off and Landing (ATOL) and ship-specific Remote Pilot Station (RPS) integration options. The V-200 boasts an agnostic, open architecture platform which has optionality for numerous sensor combinations. These include high-resolution Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR), Maritime Patrol Radar (MPR), Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), and Electronic Warfare sensors. For the first time in a VTOL UAS of its size, the V-200 has an option for deployment of up to six anti-submarine sonar buoys. This revolution in UAS capability – which was announced at DSEI and is a partnership with the Canadian Government and Ultra Maritime – significantly increases the functionality and capability of the V-200. It also incorporates a dependable heavy fuel engine, and its modular design and easily removable access panels allow for efficient routine maintenance and inspections as well as payload reconfigurations.

“We are very excited to undertake demonstrations of our V-200 to key stakeholders across the Australasian region,” said Richard Hjelmberg, UMS SKELDAR’s VP of Business Development. “The V-200 is the platform of choice for multiple NATO naval forces, including the German, Belgian and Dutch Navies. The V-200 revolutionises unmanned aviation. It does this by offering versatility, reliability and precision for a wide range of missions including surveillance, reconnaissance, target acquisition and now anti-submarine warfare. At IndoPacific, we will be showcasing all of our capabilities from the V-200, as well as laying out our development pathway for 2024.”

“We are taking huge strides, working with key partners across the globe to provide innovative unmanned aviation solutions for real world missions,” continues Hjelmberg. “Our solution has been purposefully designed to be flexible when it comes to customers’ requirements. We combine this with key technology advancements that enable significantly more capabilities. For this reason it is no wonder the V-200 is becoming the platform of choice across the military and maritime domains.”

UMS SKELDAR invites attendees to explore the future of Unmanned Aircraft Systems at the Saab Australia stand (3K6) and witness firsthand the transformative potential of their cutting-edge solutions. If you’d like to organise a briefing to speak with UMS SKELDAR at the event, please contact Andy Parker (andy@kredoconsulting.com) or Isabel Pedreira (isabel@kredoconsulting.com).