AeroVironment and Eurocopter To Explore Joint Opportunities for Expanding Product Portfolios, Markets and Capabilities

By Caroline Rees / 25 Oct 2013

Smart Sourcing for Unmanned Systems

Discover cutting-edge solutions from leading global suppliers
SUPPLIER SPOTLIGHT
Follow UST
Unmanned EC145 Helicopter

Eurocopter conducted demonstration flights of an unmanned EC145 helicopter earlier this year

AeroVironment, Inc., the world’s highest volume manufacturer of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), and Eurocopter, the leading global helicopter manufacturer, announced at the Association of the United States Army annual meeting that they have signed a cooperative agreement to explore opportunities for expanding their respective military and commercial product portfolios.

“The combination of AeroVironment’s market leading unmanned technology and unique knowledge with Eurocopter’s world-class helicopter and systems expertise makes a formidable team,” said Roy Minson, senior vice president and general manager of AeroVironment’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems business segment. “This cooperative agreement creates the opportunity for both companies to explore expanding into new markets and developing new capabilities to meet future customer needs.”

“AeroVironment’s extensive operational UAS experience in delivering to end-users reliable solutions working effectively in harsh operating environments makes us uniquely positioned to understand customers’ requirements and to determine future market trends,” said Clive Schley, Eurocopter’s senior vice president, strategy and company development. “This cooperation will be particularly valuable as Eurocopter defines its unmanned product strategy, building on the success of our first unmanned flights with the EC145 helicopter this year.”

AeroVironment developed the first hand-launched unmanned aircraft for military surveillance in 1987. Since that time, the company has won every U.S. Department of Defense competition for small UAS programs of record, and has delivered more than 20,000 new and replacement small unmanned air vehicles to customers within the United States and to more than 20 international governments. The company has also integrated its secure Digital Data Link communications architecture into air, sea and land vehicles, including manned and unmanned airplanes and helicopters, to enable control of its UAS from those platforms and provide access to the information they produce.

Eurocopter offers the most comprehensive civil and military helicopter range in the world, with more than 11,780 rotorcraft in service across 148 countries. Overall, Eurocopter helicopters account for 33 percent of the worldwide civil and parapublic fleet.

The company’s expertise in system development and integration is applied across its current helicopter products to ensure their mission flexibility and operational effectiveness, with additional advances being developed for the next generation of rotorcraft that will provide new levels of performance and efficiency.

Eurocopter’s ability to integrate unmanned flight capabilities into its helicopter family was validated this year by an optionally piloted vehicle (OPV) demonstration program, which used an unmanned EC145 to fly routes that included deployment of an external sling load and a representative observation mission.

Posted by Caroline Rees Caroline co-founded Unmanned Systems Technology and has been at the forefront of the business ever since. With a Masters Degree in marketing Caroline has her finger on the pulse of all things unmanned and is committed to showcasing the very latest in unmanned technical innovation. Connect & Contact

Latest Articles

Most Read Articles on UST This Week

Here’s our round-up of the five most read articles on UnmannedSystemsTechnology.com this week

Jul 11, 2025
Vertiq Speed Firmware v0.1.1 Now Available with Bug Fixes

Vertiq has released firmware v0.1.1 to correct a parameter bug affecting telemetry and 3D mode settings on select G1 and G2 modules

Jul 11, 2025
The Role of ROVs in Unmanned Marine Operations

Oceanbotics has answered the most common questions about ROVs, covering how they work, where they're used, and key capabilities

Jul 11, 2025
LiveU File Transfer Speeds Up Drone Data Delivery for Critical Missions

LiveU’s File Transfer enables rapid transmission of large drone data files, reducing delays and supporting faster decision-making in public safety and infrastructure operations.

Jul 11, 2025
Exploring Differences Between M9PLUS & M9 GNSS Antennas

Discover the key upgrades in Maxtena’s new M9PLUS GNSS antenna, including improved performance, signal purity, and multipath mitigation over the original M9

Jul 11, 2025
USAF Uses Inertial Labs Drone Lidar for Tree Obstruction Survey

The US Air Force successfully used Inertial Labs drone Lidar and cloud software to quickly map tree obstructions at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM), improving airfield safety

Jul 11, 2025

Featured Content

USAF Uses Inertial Labs Drone Lidar for Tree Obstruction Survey

The US Air Force successfully used Inertial Labs drone Lidar and cloud software to quickly map tree obstructions at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM), improving airfield safety

Jul 11, 2025
New UAV to Combine Solar Hydrogen & Battery Power for Extended Flight

XSun and H3 Dynamics are developing the first UAV powered by solar, hydrogen, and batteries, aiming to deliver zero-emission, long-endurance unmanned flight

Jul 07, 2025
Enhancing Mangrove Restoration Through 3D Printed Drone Design

Explore how Inverto Earth, in collaboration with HP Additive, is using sustainable 3D printing and drone technology to drive large-scale mangrove restoration and protect vulnerable coastal ecosystems

Jul 03, 2025
Advancing Unmanned Systems Through Strategic Collaboration UST works with major OEMs to foster collaboration and increase engagement with SMEs, to accelerate innovation and drive unmanned systems capabilities forward.