Schiebel and Selex ES have successfully integrated and flown the SAGE electronic warfare system on an unmanned air system for the first time. On December 12, 2013, the system flew onboard a Schiebel Camcopter S-100 UAS.

SAGE is a digital electronic support measure (ESM) and electronic intelligence (ELINT) system for radio frequency (RF) intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions. It enhances situational awareness by passively collecting emitter data from RF sources at a tactically significant range, comparing them with an emitter library and then identifying and geo-locating any threats.

Pete Forrest, Vice President, Sales for Electronic Warfare at Selex ES, said, “Armed forces are facing the two-headed challenge of needing to be able to detect increasingly RF threats while having to operate under tighter budgets. With SAGE, customers have a sophisticated RF detection and geo-location system available that they can operate costeffectively on platforms such as the Camcopter S-100. We are pleased to be working so effectively with Schiebel and look forward to demonstrations around the world in 2014.”

Hans Georg Schiebel, Chairman of the Schiebel Group of companies, said: “The SAGE integrated simply and quickly into the S-100, proving the flexibility of both the UAS and the ESM and ELINT. SAGE forms a core component of Schiebel’s integrated suite of sensors that will provide decision-makers with an unprecedented step change in tactical ISR collection capability.”

Schiebel’s Camcopter S-100 unmanned air system (UAS) is a proven capability for military and civilian applications. The vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) UAS needs no prepared area or supporting launch or recovery equipment. It operates in day and night, under adverse weather conditions, with a beyond line-of-sight capability out to 200 km, both on land and at sea.

The S-100 navigates via preprogrammed GPS waypoints or is operated with a pilot control unit. Missions are planned and controlled via a simple point-and-click graphical user interface. High definition payload imagery is transmitted to the control station in real time. Using fly-by-wire technology controlled by a triple-redundant flight computer, the UAV can complete its mission automatically.

Its carbon fiber and titanium fuselage provides capacity for a wide range of payload/endurance combinations up to a service ceiling of 18,000 feet. In its standard configuration, the Camcopter S-100 carries a 75 lbs/34 kg payload up to 10 hours and is powered with AVGas or heavy fuel.