The European Maritime Safety Agency has selected Airbus’ Flexrotor uncrewed aerial system under a new maritime surveillance framework contract, Airbus has confirmed. The decision represents the first operational deployment of the Flexrotor in Europe and reflects mounting pressure on EU coast guards to oversee large maritime areas impacted by irregular migration, illegal fishing, pollution incidents, and maritime security threats. By pooling drone services at the EMSA level, the European Union seeks to deliver a shared, real-time aerial surveillance capability to national authorities, highlighting a broader transition toward the routine use of tactical drones in coast guard operations.
Valued at €30 million (around $35 million), the framework contract tasks Airbus with delivering RPAS-based maritime surveillance services using the Flexrotor platform. The agreement covers an initial two-year term with options for two additional one-year extensions, enabling operations to extend up to four years. Flight operations are expected to commence in 2026 and will be conducted by French service provider Extensee. The service package includes EO/IR and radar-equipped missions, with data transmitted in real time to the EMSA RPAS Data Centre, allowing national coast guard agencies and EU institutions to follow operations live. The capability will be accessible to authorities across EU member states, as well as Norway and Iceland, and allows for two concurrent deployments from separate locations, with additional detachments available if required. EMSA noted that the missions are intended to bolster search and rescue efforts, fisheries enforcement, environmental protection, and the detection of unlawful activities at sea.
Flexrotor belongs to the Group 2 category of small tactical VTOL uncrewed aircraft systems. The platform has a maximum launch weight of 25 kg, a wingspan of approximately 3 metres, and a rotor diameter of 2.2 metres, supporting payloads of up to 8 kg. Driven by a compact 28 cc two-stroke engine, the aircraft can reach speeds of about 140 km/h and sustain flights lasting 12 to 14 hours, with endurance of around 10 hours in the EMSA mission configuration. Designed primarily for ISTAR missions, Flexrotor integrates EO/IR sensors and radar but is adaptable to other payloads due to its payload-agnostic architecture. For maritime operators, a key advantage is its ability to autonomously launch and recover from land or sea within a small 3.7 × 3.7 metre area, enabling operations from ships without flight decks, small piers, or remote coastal sites, and allowing rapid deployment in less than 30 minutes.
