Abu Dhabi, 25 February 2018 – AWHERO remotely piloted helicopter development and testing is on course to achieve certification next year. Two new prototypes are being assembled at Leonardo’s fully owned company Sistemi Dinamici plant in Pisa (Italy) as flight trials activities continue with the existing test aircraft. Tests underway will see completion of low speed flights at a range close to Pisa, followed by envelope expansion at another range in central Italy before prototypes 3 and 4 begin ground and flight trials. AWHERO will have a maximum gross weight of 205 kg and a useful load of 85 kg (fuel plus payload) with a maximum endurance in excess of 6 hours. T

he aircraft is designed to deliver high reliability and low operating costs. Payload options include a radar (such as the Leonardo Gabbiano ST Ultra Light), electro-optics, LiDAR and advanced communication systems. For maritime roles, the aircraft features a deck sensor and autopilot modes specially developed to
permit landings and take-offs from ships and benefits from the extensive experience Leonardo has in the naval helicopter domain.

The AWHERO will also be able to be fully integrated into unmanned-manned teaming those scenarios, be it over land or sea. In 2019, the new RUAS (Rotary Unmanned Air System) will be used for maritime surveillance capability demonstrations on ships within the framework of the OCEAN2020 initiatives, where Leonardo will lead a team of 42 European aerospace companies. AWHERO is also being evaluated by many potential customers worldwide.

AWERO is a state-of-the-art 200 kg class remotely piloted helicopter (RUAS – Rotary Unmanned Air System), which brings together Leonardo’s experience in helicopters and system integration. The design of AWHERO responds to current and future market requirements for increasingly extended operational capabilities through the use of unmanned systems.

Developed for land and naval operations, with maximum versatility in mind, AWHERO is the perfect solution in terms of cost effectiveness for tasks such as maritime and border surveillance, national security, critical infrastructure surveillance, pipeline and powerline monitoring, rescue and disaster relief support and damage assessment after natural disasters.

Fonte: comuncato Leonardo