Airbus Helicopters has announced that it has won a contract from Uztechtrade, the unitary state enterprise of Uzbekistan responsible for importing military and dual-use equipment, to supply an unspecified number of Flexrotor systems, an unmanned helicopter.
With the signing of this contract, Uzbekistan becomes the first Flexrotor client in Central Asia.
The Flexrotor has been designed by Airbus Helicopters to execute a wide range of missions, mainly focused on intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR).
Uzbekistan intends to use the Flexrotor in advanced teaming scenarios with and without crew, integrating its operations with crewed helicopters to improve situational awareness and mission effectiveness.
The Flexrotor is the latest addition Airbus has introduced in its UAS portfolio.
This modern unmanned vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft with a maximum take-off weight (MTOW) of 25 kg (55 lbs), is designed for ISTAR missions of over 12-14 hours in a typical operational configuration.
The Flexrotor UAS is a proven force multiplier for operations in difficult, high-risk, and GPS-denied environments.
The Flexrotor can integrate various types of payloads, including an electro-optical system and advanced sensors, to meet the specific mission needs of customers.
Thanks to its ability to take-off and recover autonomously from land or sea, requiring an area of only 3.7 x 3.7 meters (12 x 12 feet), the Flexrotor is ideal for expedition missions requiring minimal footprint.
Source and photo credit @Airbus Helicopters
