Schiebel to supply S-100 UAV for Australian navy

Feb. 6 (UPI) -- Scheibel Group has been contracted to supply its S-100 unmanned air system and three years of logistics support for Australia's navy.

The S-100 Camcopter is an unmanned aerial vehicle, or UAV, with military and civilian applications. The aircraft is capable of navigating automatically using pre-programmed GPS checkpoints during missions.

For military customers, the product is designed to perform surveillance missions in maritime environments. According to Schiebel, the S-100 is the only UAV in its class that is capable of carrying multiple sensors simultaneously.

Company officials says the vehicle enhances situational awareness for naval commanders by offering real-time reconnaissance information from a range of over 120 miles.

"We feel most honored by the Royal Australian Navy's decision to purchase our Camcopter S-100 UAS," company owner Hans Georg Schiebel said in a press release. "We are sure that the S-100 will prove to be an effective asset that will set a new benchmark for UAS capability."

The Australian government initially posted a request for tender for an unmanned air system capability in February 2016. After a round of negotiations, the two parties signed off on the procurement at the end of December 2016.