AWHERO French Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)

The AWHERO French Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) is a 200 kg-class, short-range tactical rotary unmanned air system (RUAS) developed primarily for maritime and land-based Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions. The system is optimized for both open-ocean and littoral environments. Key naval features are as follows: Automatic Take-off and Landing (ATOL): Enables autonomous operations from ship decks in conditions up to Sea State 3, with potential to extend to higher states depending on vessel stability systems. ​ Maritime Radar: The integrated Gabbiano TS UL radar supports long-range surface search, Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar (ISAR) imaging, and Automatic Identification System (AIS) correlation, thereby extending the host vessel’s radar horizon by 50 to 60 nautical miles. ​ Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T): The system is designed to operate in conjunction with manned naval helicopters, such as the NH90 or AW101, functioning as an off-board sensor node to relay target data while minimizing risk to crewed aircraft. Mission Profiles ISTAR: Real-time day/night surveillance and target designation. Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW): The platform can deploy sonobuoys or serve as a data relay for sonobuoy fields. However, payload weight constraints limit the duration and scope of ASW operations compared to larger Class II or III UAVs. ​ Logistics: The enhanced variant can support cargo resupply missions, typically using side-mounted panniers or a small underslung load.