EADS announce progress with SHARC rotary wing UAV at Paris Air Show 2007

Military Air Systems is an integrated Business Unit of EADS Defence & Security (DS - 23,000 employees - Eur 5.9 Bn sales 2006), they not only displayed a mock up of the SHARC UAV (pic) at the Paris Air Show 2007 but announced it's flight test programme had successfully started.

This is a compact, 2.5 m long, 0.7 m high and 1.2 m high vehicle with an all up weight of 190 KG (incl. + - 60 Kg surveillance kit). It is an unconvential unmanned coaxial dual-rotor helicopter and is equipped with a redundant flight control unit, a laser altimeter and control and data links. There are no hydraulic componenents and the dual rotors are controlled by electrical actuators.

EADS are moving to developing a modular or mix 'n' match setup which they also displayed as a 1:10 model of a new MALE UAV concept. The aircraft is configured as a main module, which includes the airframe, twin engines avionics, controls and tail section, with optional wing sets

1 High aspect ratio
2 Low aspect ratio

Payloads would be modular, providing SAR, MPR and EO systems.

Communications can be by

1. Forward satellite section
2. Where sufficient replaced with a line of sight module



The proposed modular design in SHARC of the avionics is a step along the road to integration of a whole range of different mission equipment. Tests on electro-optical and infrared sensors are part of the overall flight campaign. In addition, SHARC can also accommodate a compact synthetic aperture radar (SAR) system.

EADS claims that within the SHARC package they can readily configure systems for military / naval / coastal requirements for unmanned reconnaissance and surveillance as well as aerial target designation and damage control missions, but can also be used for industrial / border monitoring.

Ideally designed for ship based use the dual rotor configuration ( mutually torque-compensating counterrotating rotors make a compensating tail rotor superfluous) has a claimed 30% list at equal wait with conventional helicopters with tail boom designs - providing heavier sensor payload greater attitude stability and comparable flight performance with easier / safer autonomous deck landings.

EADS also showed the latest generation of the lightweight EADS SCORPIO of which over 1,000 are in use for short duration, low level surveillance land based use.

Not to be confused with the Saab SHARC (Swedish Highly Advanced Research Configuration) the forerunner of the Saab armed Combat UAV (CUAV).