In partnership with the German Air and Space Flight Centre (German Air and Space Flight Centre / Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt / DLR), the German Armed Forces Bundeswehr, Airbus, German companies SFL and Geradts, German companies SFL and Geradts, an in-flight A400M The Remote Carrier will test the flight test. The world’s first successful launch operation of the demonstrator took place.

“The excellent collaboration with our German customer and partners on the A400M UAV Launcher campaign is further proof of how the development of FCAS will take innovation and technologies to the next level. FCAS as a systems system is now starting to take shape” said Michael Schoellhorn, Airbus Defence and Space CEO. 

Developing and enhancing unmanned systems is expected to be one of the future roles of Airbus’ Future Combat Air System (FCAS).

It took six months to develop the device produced for Remote Carriers, the UAV system launched from the in-flight A400M. For the test flight, it was loaded onto a Bundeswehr A400M launcher from which the Airbus Do-DT25 drone, the Remote Carrier, was launched. After its release, the Do-DT25’s engines were started and continued in powered flight mode. The crew on the A400M then handed control over to an operator on the ground, who safely commanded the drone.

Airbus developed the A400M UAV Launcher with the Bundeswehr Technical and Airworthiness Centre for Aircraft / Wehrtechnische Dienststelle für Luftfahrzeuge – Musterprüfwesen für Luftfahrtgerät der Bundeswehr / WTD 61, a working discipline with DLR, SFL and Geradt. In this way, the system was ready for flight test in a short time.