With A 7.2-Meter Rotor, Up To 8-Hour Endurance, 185 Km/H Speed, 20,000 Feet Operational Range, And Onboard Integration For ISR Missions, France Invests In Six VSR700 Rotary-Wing Drones To Integrate Into The Navy Fleet

Written by Andriely Medeiros de Araújo

Published on 12/02/2026 at 16:38

Updated on 12/02/2026 at 16:40

A França investe em drones de asa rotativa VSR700 para a Marinha, ampliando capacidade de inteligência, vigilância marítima e cooperação entre sistemas tripulados e não tripulados. Fonte: Airbus

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France Invests in VSR700 Rotary-Wing Drones for the Navy, Enhancing Intelligence, Maritime Surveillance, and Cooperation Between Manned and Unmanned Systems.

Six VSR700 rotary-wing drones are set to join the fleet of the French Navy starting in 2028, increasing the capacity for surveillance and onboard intelligence.

The contract, signed with Airbus Helicopters and Naval Group, provides for production, testing, and integration of the drones onto the ships, enhancing crew safety and operational efficiency at sea.

Embedded Operations and Strategic Functions of the VSR700

The VSR700 will primarily be used for Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions.

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SDAM Program Boosts Development of the VSR700

The SDAM program (Système de Drone Aérien de la Marine) was responsible for developing and testing the VSR700.

The initiative aimed to create embedded drones capable of operating autonomously on prolonged and high-risk missions.

During testing, the Navy and the DGA evaluated performance, autonomy, and operational integration, ensuring that the drones meet the demands of modern naval operations.

Technology and Cooperation Between Platforms

Based on the Cabri G2 helicopter from Hélicoptères Guimbal, the VSR700 has vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) capabilities.

In addition to ISR missions, it can operate in conjunction with manned aircraft through the HTeaming system, allowing MUM-T (Manned-Unmanned Teaming) cooperation in complex operations and enhancing the Navy’s reach and efficiency in strategic environments.

Performance and Technical Specifications of the VSR700

The rotary-wing drone features a diesel engine and multiple functions, capable of carrying out surveillance, logistics, or armed missions.

Equipped with ISR sensors, it can fly for up to eight hours, providing extended coverage for critical operations.

With just over six meters in length and a rotor diameter of 7.2 meters, it reaches a maximum speed of 100 knots (185 km/h) and operates at 20,000 feet, ensuring operational flexibility.

Modernization of the French Navy

The acquisition of the VSR700 represents a strategic advancement for the Navy, increasing capacity for patrol, surveillance, and reconnaissance of maritime areas.

Rotary-wing drones reduce the risk to human crews and allow for more precise, safer, and coordinated operations, aligned with the needs of modern missions.

In the future, the VSR700 is expected to become an essential part of the activities of the French Navy, contributing to patrols, surveillance, logistical support, and armed reconnaissance.

This integration reinforces France’s role as a reference in naval innovation, combining advanced technology, drone autonomy, and cooperation with manned systems.

With information from Poder Naval

With A 7.2-Meter Rotor, Up To 8-Hour Endurance, 185 Km/H Speed, 20,000 Feet Operational Range, And Onboard Integration For ISR Missions, France Invests In Six VSR700 Rotary-Wing Drones To Integrate Into The Navy Fleet

France Invests in VSR700 Rotary-Wing Drones for the Navy, Enhancing Intelligence, Maritime Surveillance, and Cooperation Between Manned and Unmanned Systems.

Embedded Operations and Strategic Functions of the VSR700

SDAM Program Boosts Development of the VSR700

Technology and Cooperation Between Platforms

Performance and Technical Specifications of the VSR700

Modernization of the French Navy

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With A 7.2-Meter Rotor, Up To 8-Hour Endurance, 185 Km/H Speed, 20,000 Feet Operational Range, And Onboard Integration For ISR Missions, France Invests In Six VSR700 Rotary-Wing Drones To Integrate Into The Navy Fleet

France Invests in VSR700 Rotary-Wing Drones for the Navy, Enhancing Intelligence, Maritime Surveillance, and Cooperation Between Manned and Unmanned Systems.

Embedded Operations and Strategic Functions of the VSR700

SDAM Program Boosts Development of the VSR700

Technology and Cooperation Between Platforms

Performance and Technical Specifications of the VSR700

Modernization of the French Navy

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Ethiopia has banned gasoline and diesel cars, placed over a hundred silent electric buses on the streets of Addis Ababa, and now aims for half a million electric vehicles by 2030, all powered by Africa’s largest dam and a courage that few countries have shown.

Egypt wants to draw 10 million cubic meters of water from the Nile per day into the desert, irrigate a new agricultural frontier, and build a city where there is currently only sand.

BRICS is preparing a payment system inspired by the Brazilian PIX that will allow direct transactions between countries using national digital currencies without relying on the dollar or Western banks as intermediaries.

Stored for over 100 years, the first underwater tunnel in Latin America receives a decisive boost with a loan of R$ 2.5 billion signed in April and promises to connect Santos and Guarujá, on the coast of São Paulo, in just 5 minutes.

Chinese engineers begin filling a 217-meter dam at an altitude of 3,000 meters and prepare a 2,240 MW hydroelectric power plant to integrate hydropower, solar, and wind energy in the upper Jinsha.

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