Image: Schiebel
Austrian UAS manufacturer Schiebel has secured a role in a major European Defence Fund initiative, with its CAMCOPTER S-300 chosen as the airborne platform for the SWORD anti-submarine warfare project.
The Stand-off Anti-Submarine Warfare Operations by Remote Deployment (SWORD) programme is led by German defence technology firm TKMS ATLAS ELEKTRONIK. It brings together a consortium of European defence and technology partners over a 36-month development period, according to Schiebel.
Building a Sensor-to-Shooter ASW Chain
SWORD aims to develop a System-of-Systems architecture for stand-off anti-submarine warfare. The programme targets a fully integrated sensor-to-shooter functional chain, enabling naval platforms to detect, track, classify, and neutralise submerged threats without closing the distance.
The project is designed to mature a concept design for next-generation ASW capabilities, addressing a domain that has grown in strategic urgency as submarine activity increases across European waters.
Why the S-300?
Schiebel’s CAMCOPTER S-300 is the company’s heavy-lift vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) unmanned air system. Its extended endurance, high payload capacity, and compact operational footprint make it well-suited to complex maritime missions.
The platform supports both intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) roles and missions requiring larger sensor or weapons payloads. Its ability to operate from naval vessels without a conventional runway gives it clear advantages in the ASW context, where persistent maritime coverage is essential.
The S-300’s selection reflects a broader shift in naval doctrine toward unmanned systems for high-risk or persistent missions, particularly in contested underwater environments where manned aircraft face operational limitations.
European Cooperation at the Core
SWORD aligns directly with the European Defence Fund’s mandate to strengthen collaborative defence research and innovation across EU member states. The consortium draws on expertise from multiple European nations, positioning the programme as both a technical and political demonstration of coordinated European defence investment.
Hans Georg Schiebel, Chairman of the Schiebel Group, said the selection highlighted the platform’s potential in future ASW concepts. “SWORD is a great example of European cooperation in a highly relevant maritime defence domain,” he said. “The selection of the S-300 highlights the platform’s potential to support future anti-submarine warfare concepts with a flexible, unmanned and operationally efficient capability.”
Read more on Schiebel’s website














