France Signs Framework Agreement for Airbus VSR700 Programme

Sébastien Lecornu, the French Minister for the Armed Forces, has formalized a framework agreement with Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters, and Marie-Laure Bourgeois, Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing at Naval Group, concerning the future procurement of the Systèmes de Drone Aérien pour la Marine (SDAM: uncrewed aerial systems for the Navy). This agreement also facilitates potential collaboration with other countries through government-to-government agreements.

Each SDAM will be equipped with an Airbus VSR700 uncrewed aerial system (UAS), managed using Naval Group's Steeris Mission System. Naval Group is also tasked with integrating the SDAMs onto French Navy frigates. Stemming from 15 years of research and development, Steeris® MS is a sea-proven solution tailored for integration into naval combat systems.

“This framework agreement is a key milestone for the VSR700 programme,” said Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters. “With our partners we have demonstrated the VSR700’s capabilities at sea with multiple demonstrations including one on board a French Navy frigate,” he added. “Furthermore, with this programme we are building a local and sovereign UAS ecosystem that will benefit both our home nations and our partners across the globe,” he explained. “VSR700 is a truly versatile system that could be used in many different environments as evidenced by the armed scout version on display at the Paris Air Show.”

“This signature is a testimony to the teamwork achieved with our partners and to Naval Group’s expertise in integrating all types of drones on board surface ships to improve the operational capabilities of our client navies” said Pierre Eric Pommellet, Chairman and CEO of Naval Group.

The framework agreement establishes a foundation for incorporating additional partner nations into the program. The French Armament General Directorate (DGA) has extended official invitations to various countries worldwide to participate in the program. These nations will have the opportunity to procure the system through a government-to-government contract, in a configuration akin to that chosen by the DGA for the French Navy.

The VSR700 series, slated for delivery to the French Navy, will be outfitted for surveillance and intelligence operations, akin to the VSR700 prototypes previously tested for the development of the SDAM. This setup comprises a radar, an electro-optical system, and an Automatic Identification System (AIS) receiver. The VSR700 is engineered to autonomously take off and land from a naval vessel under challenging sea conditions and within a dense electromagnetic environment, all while carrying three sensors and maintaining flight for over eight hours.