Hellenic Navy to buy Schiebel’s UAS for its FDI HN frigates

February 16, 2026, by Fatima Bahtić

The Hellenic Navy has signed a contract to procure ship-based CAMCOPTER S-100 unmanned air systems (UAS) to be deployed on the Hellenic Navy’s Frégate de Défense et d’Intervention (FDI) Belharra-class frigates.

The HS Kimon, which arrived in Greece in January 2026, is set to receive the CAMCOPTER S-100 in spring 2026. A second system will be operated from shore for training purposes and to improve operator proficiency.

The remaining S-100 systems will be ship-based and deployed from the Hellenic Navy’s frigates HS Nearchos and Formion. HS Nearchos is scheduled for late 2026, while HS Formion is expected to arrive by early 2027.

The French Naval Group-built frigates are pre-fitted for the CAMCOPTER S-100 integration to enable rapid installation and operational introduction.

Training for the first Greek CAMCOPTER S-100 crews is expected to be completed in spring 2026.

“We are extremely proud that the CAMCOPTER S-100 is the UAS of choice for the Hellenic Navy. With its proven maritime performance, endurance and payload capacity, the S-100 will provide commanders with extended situational awareness, further enhancing the operational capabilities of the Hellenic Navy’s surface forces,” said Hans Georg Schiebel, Chairman of the Schiebel Group.

CAMCOPTER S-100

Schiebel’s CAMCOPTER is used for military and civilian purposes. In a typical configuration, the unmanned helicopter carries a 34-kg payload up to 10 hours and is powered with AVGas or JP-5 heavy fuel. High-definition payload imagery is transmitted to the control station in real time.

In addition to its standard GPS waypoint or manual navigation, the S-100 can operate in environments where GPS is not available, with missions planned and controlled via a simple point-and-click graphical user interface.

The vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) UAS requires no prepared area or supporting equipment to enable launch and recovery. It operates by day and by night, under adverse weather conditions, with a beyond line-of-sight capability out to 200 km/108 nm, over land and sea.

Schiebel S-100 UAS wraps up trials for Hellenic Navy

UUV/UAV

Its carbon fiber and titanium fuselage provides capacity for a wide range of payload/endurance combinations up to a service ceiling of 5,500 meters. The dash speed is 100 knots and the cruise speed is 55 knots.

The UAS is expected to enhance the Hellenic Navy’s frigate fleet operations across a wide range of missions, such as maritime security, search and rescue operations, environmental monitoring, control of the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and anti-submarine warfare (ASW).