Airbus consolidates tactical drone portfolio under helicopters division to streamline UAS offering

“By incorporating Aliaca and Capa-X into our UAS portfolio, we are building a cohesive family of products and solidifying Airbus’ position as a market leader in the tactical drone segment,” said Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters. “With this move, we are setting up a centre of excellence that consolidates a comprehensive and complementary portfolio of uncrewed aerial systems and facilitates synergies across the teams that are working to further develop and support them. It will also accelerate the cooperation between drones and helicopters thanks to our HTeaming solution,” he added.

Uncrewed aerial systems play a vital role in real-time operations for both military and civilian use, offering high-resolution sensing for ISTAR and long-endurance ISR missions. Their applications benefit naval and expeditionary forces, battlefield reconnaissance, as well as parapublic services such as firefighting and law enforcement.

Survey Copter, based in Pierrelatte, Southern France, has been producing light tactical drones since 1996, delivering more than 300 systems to domestic and international customers. The company’s experience in civil and military drones forms a key part of Airbus’ expanded UAS capabilities.

The new portfolio includes the Aliaca, a 25 kg drone with a 6-hour endurance carrying up to 3 kg, and the Flexrotor, also 25 kg, capable of 10 to 12-hour flights with an 8 kg payload. For greater versatility, the 120 kg Capa-X carries up to 20 kg of equipment, suitable for diverse terrains and missions.

The VSR700, at 750 kg, is a multi-role drone tailored for complex maritime, cargo, and combat operations, offering a low-signature design and high adaptability. This broad selection delivers advanced surveillance and intelligence solutions with operational flexibility for various mission profiles.

In addition to its tactical UAS range, Airbus’ Defence and Space division continues to advance large-scale and specialised drone technologies. These include the Eurodrone for strategic European defence, the SIRTAP for day and night ISR, and the solar-electric Zephyr HAPS, along with aerial target drones.

Airbus has also introduced crewed-uncrewed teaming, enabling aircraft and helicopter crews to control drones mid-flight. This technology enhances mission scope by expanding sensor reach beyond visual range while reserving crewed platforms for critical operations.