FEINDEF 2025: Airbus Helicopters and Arquimea to integrate Q-SLAM-40 loitering munition onto the NH90

Airbus Helicopters in Spain and Spanish technology company Arquimea are to collaborate on integrating the latter’s Q-SLAM-40 loitering munition (LM) onto the NH90 helicopter.

The two companies signed a collaboration agreement to this effect at the FEINDEF 2025 defence exhibition in Spain on 14 May.

Airbus Helicopters has a 62.5% share in NHIndustries, which builds the NH90. The Spanish armed forces have a programme of record for 45 NH90s and currently operates more than 20 of the type.

Integration of the Q-SLAM-40 LM onto the NH90 will expand the helicopter’s operational capabilities with regard to intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) duties as well as for attack missions, counter-unmanned aerial vehicle (C-UAV) operations and even the creation of LM swarms for complex operations, according to Arquimea.

The Q-SLAM-40 has an endurance of 25 minutes, a range of 25 km and can integrate various payloads depending on the mission requirements. Launching the system directly from the helicopter will serve to speed up the tempo of operations and compress the ‘observe, orient, decide and act (OODA) loop.

Arquimea’s intelligent LM systems incorporate artificial intelligence technology to enhance situational awareness, real-time data transmission and swarming flight operations.

“The integration of helicopters and drones on the future battlefield is essential for our armed forces,” Luis Martín, commercial and programmes director of Airbus Helicopters in Spain, was quoted as saying in an Arquimea press reléase. “The collaboration with the Q-SLAM-40 will allow us to offer a solution that combines aerial mobility with intelligent drone attack capabilities.”