European aircraft manufacturer Airbus Helicopters is completing testing on operational integration between the H-145M military helicopter with Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS). This is an upgrade designed to meet the needs of potential customers after the 2020 launch of this new type of five-blade rotary-wing model. At a media briefing yesterday in Munich, the company said it was confident about the successful outcome of the tests and the imminent market launch. 

"Next week we will finish our phase two tests on this new Unmanned Aerial System", he said. "Currently we have only offered it once to a customer, with a so-called committed offer. This means that upstream there is a price, a delivery time, there is performance and capability. That means that based on all the testing we've done so far we are ready to sell it to the public". That's what H-145 program manager Mark Henning said at the press conference. 

Manned-Unmanned Teaming (Mum-T), or interaction between manned and unmanned aircraft, is one of the most popular options for countries that want to extend the capabilities of their military aircraft to include reconnaissance, Search and Rescue (SAR) operations. To enhance drone-helicopter integration with other NATO systems, the H-145M will be equipped with a standard data link that supports Cooperative Electronics (Cesmo), a reconnaissance network that connects various armed forces and platforms that detect threats using the electromagnetic spectrum. 

On the same topic see the article published by AVIONEWS.