Schiebel Group showcased its CAMCOPTER S-100 unmanned aerial system during NATO’s REPMUS 2025 exercise, underscoring the platform’s versatility, operational maturity, and seamless integration with evolving naval combat systems.
The large-scale event, hosted by the Portuguese Navy, brought together allied forces and defense industry partners to evaluate the role of robotic and uncrewed systems in multi-domain operations.
The Austria-based company said the S-100 completed a series of complex maritime missions carrying advanced payloads tailored for naval operations. According to Schiebel, the S-100 operated with a suite of sensors and communication systems designed to meet NATO’s evolving requirements for interoperability and real-time intelligence.
At the core of the S-100’s demonstration was its integration of the CRFS RFeye Node 100-18 LW, a compact high-fidelity radio frequency sensor. This payload allowed the system to collect and analyze I/Q data across the spectrum up to 18 GHz, providing actionable SIGINT even in contested electromagnetic environments. Schiebel said this real-time capability enhances the platform’s intelligence-gathering role in naval operations.
In partnership with Akheros, the CAMCOPTER also fielded the Skylock module, which incorporates NATO’s DIANA Artificial Intelligence framework. Designed to streamline dual-use AI and data fusion, the system enabled onboard anomaly detection and telemetry analysis during flight. This aligns with NATO’s broader effort to incorporate machine learning and real-time processing into its unmanned platforms.
The S-100’s compatibility with emerging NATO protocols was further demonstrated through direct integration with Thales’ Tacticos combat management system. In a joint trial, operators were able to task and control the CAMCOPTER S-100 directly from the Tacticos interface, allowing for full mission coordination rather than limited data exchange. Schiebel said this is part of a broader push to standardize control of unmanned surface, subsurface, and aerial systems under a single command architecture.
Hans Georg Schiebel, Chairman of the Schiebel Group, said in a statement, “REPMUS is the ideal environment to validate the S-100’s operational flexibility in partnership with leading industry innovators. From AI-driven analytics with Akheros and multi-domain interoperability testing with Thales, to RF intelligence gathering and advanced bathymetric LiDAR mapping, the CAMCOPTER® S-100 continues to prove why it is the trusted VTOL UAS of choice for naval operations worldwide.”
The platform also demonstrated its ISR capabilities through integration of the Areté PILLS Next Generation System (PNGS), a bathymetric LiDAR that doubled previous performance rates. The technology, developed by U.S.-based Areté, enabled the S-100 to conduct underwater obstacle detection and terrain mapping at 120Hz, supporting littoral surveillance missions. Launch and recovery operations were successfully executed from a Portuguese Offshore Patrol Vessel.
Additionally, the Oceanwatch PT-8 maritime sensor module was used to autonomously detect small objects across wide ocean areas, reinforcing the S-100’s ability to contribute to maritime situational awareness and interdiction efforts.