Dutch unmanned helicopter systems specialist High Eye has won a contract from the Netherlands Ministry of Defence (MoD) to provide its Airboxer vertical take-off and landing unmanned aerial vehicle (VTOL UAV), the company announced on 26 February 2024.
The contract was won in an open international tender, according to High Eye, although the company did not state how many UAVs had been ordered or what the contract value is. High Eye did state, however, that the first system will be delivered this year.
“As part of a comprehensive programme spanning more than two years, our team will diligently work to integrate the Airboxer seamlessly into all aspects of the Netherlands Ministry of Defence’s operations, both in Europe and abroad,” High Eye stated in a press release, adding that the programme “encompasses the integration of our Airboxer VTOL UAV along with its ground control system, training modules, maintenance packages, operational training, and cutting-edge EO/IR [electro-optical/infra-red] camera payloads”.
Powered by an air-cooled boxer engine with fuel injection, the Airboxer VTOL UAV has a classical main and tail rotor layout similar to a conventional manned helicopter and can accommodate multiple payloads, sensors and other additional hardware up to a weight of 7 kg.
At sea level it can lift payloads of up to 7 kg for several hours, fly in excess of three hours at a speed of 30 kts (55.6 km/h) with a payload of 2.0 kg or accelerate onwards all the way up to 70 kts. The maximum take-off weight of the aircraft at sea level is 32 kg, which is gradually reduced up to the UAV’s rated service ceiling, which is 254 m (10,000 ft).
At a speed of 30 kts the Airboxer can achieve its maximum range of 180 km on one fuel tank with a medium payload capacity.
The Airboxer’s flight control design and powerplant configuration allow it to operate in temperatures down to -20° C and up to 45° C and at a humidity of 95%. The UAV tolerates winds up to 25 ks for take-off and landing and moderate levels of rain, snow and hail. Electromagnetic interference has been demonstrated to pose no risk to the Airboxer at frequencies of 1 MHz to 18 GHz and field strengths of 200 V/m. When operating from a ship, roll and pitch angles of the deck are allowed up to 8 degrees and sea state 5 in standard operations.
