Saab-UMS Aero JV Unveils V-150 VTOL Rotary UAV

UMS SKELDAR, a joint venture between Saab and UMS Aero Group, has unveiled its new V-150 unmanned aerial vehicle that is capable of Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL).

"UMS SKELDAR, is launching its new enhanced V-150 Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) platform to support tactical operations including defence forces, surveillance, blue light forces and homeland security," the company said in a statement Tuesday.

This ITAR-free UAV includes an ability to carry multiple payloads across two payload bays (up to 30 kg in the main bay and up to 12 kg in the nose). The new platform has a current endurance of up to 2.5 hours with a 12 kg payload, raising to 4 hours in the near future thanks to modifications already being worked on. It operates on a turbine engine propulsion system that uses heavy fuels, making it perfect for maritime missions.

The V-150’s modular design enables a high degree of maintainability alongside a minimum turn-around time during operations, and it has a small logistical footprint ideal for storing in small hangars, the company claims.

“With target sectors including defence forces, coastguards, border patrol agencies, blue light forces, fire departments and drug interdiction and trafficking agencies to name a few, the V-150 has been developed as an easy to use, simple to maintain, UAV that can assist organisations with a wide range of smaller critical activities that ordinarily would entail manned crews taking on at an increased cost," said David Willems, VP Business Development and Strategy, UMS SKELDAR.

For maritime operations such as border patrol, sea surveillance, coastguard and naval operations, the SKELDAR V-150 can be equipped with an Electro Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) sensor and a variety of small tactical synthetic aperture radars (SAR) for delivering real-time intelligence in all weather conditions, day and night. Strip map, spotlight and wide area operating modes enable operators to engage in maritime surveillance and moving target detection.