European Border and Coast Guard Agency Selects Airbus, Israel Aerospace for Maritime Surveillance

Airbus DS Airborne Solutions (ADAS) and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) have been awarded a four-year follow-on contract by Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, to provide uncrewed maritime aerial surveillance services.

The Maritime Heron system will begin operations in the Mediterranean in early 2025, enhancing border security and supporting rescue efforts.

The Heron remotely piloted aircraft system (RPAS), known for its long endurance of over 20 hours, will use sensors including electro-optical cameras, thermal infrared technology, maritime patrol radar, and an automatic identification system. These capabilities will provide Frontex with real-time surveillance data transmitted to its operational command center in Warsaw and host nations’ control centers, improving situational awareness and operational response.

Under the framework contract, the service will cover Greece, Italy, or Malta, with Airbus and IAI managing operations for pre-planned missions and ad-hoc assignments. The RPAS will include necessary payloads, communication equipment, and ground mission support. The Maritime Heron is designed for both Line of Sight (LOS) and Beyond Line of Sight (BLOS) operations, utilizing satellite links for seamless information transfer.

Airbus and IAI first collaborated with Frontex in 2020 for maritime aerial surveillance.