Airbus trials interoperability of helicopters and uncrewed systems

The system was developed as part of a project funded by the European Union and code-named MUSHER. The demonstration took place in France and Italy from 30 September to 9 October and involved multiple crewed helicopters and uncrewed systems connected to a single MUM-T network.

The MUSHER project was a team effort involving a number of European companies. Led by Airbus, it deployed the H130 Flightlab as a crewed platform and the VSR700 uncrewed aerial system (UAS) on a flight test range belonging to France’s Directorate General of Armament (DGA). Leonardo performed the demonstration with a helicopter and an optionally piloted vehicle. Thales, the project coordinator, provided a supervision station and a mission debriefing station. Space Applications Services oversaw the mission preparation station. Indra led simulation activities in preparation for the demonstration, while ONERA provided studies on crew workload.

Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters, said: “Operating helicopters and unmanned aerial systems in concert provides valuable additional mission capabilities, such as increased situational awareness with UAS sharing video in real time for improved decision-making, all while preserving critical assets and resources.

“The success of the MUSHER demonstration is a major step forward for our ambition at Airbus, which is to field MUM-T capabilities by bringing European industrial know-how together for the benefit of military and civil customers.”

The MUSHER demonstration consisted of various scenarios involving the different aircraft flying simultaneously in France and in Italy. The missions were based on concepts of operations defined by the defense ministries of France, Italy and Spain. One scenario, for example, showcased UASs and crewed helicopters for an anti-piracy mission. Similar partnerships have been trialed between drones and helicopters flying search and rescue (SAR) flights.

The in-flight testing aimed at demonstrating levels of interoperability (LOI) 2 to 4, from direct receipt of UAS data by the crewed helicopters and the ground station to the control and monitoring of the UAS from the helicopters. The demonstration also served to prove that crewed helicopters and UASs from different companies and different countries, operating in far apart areas, could be integrated within a single MUM-T system.

MUSHER was launched in the framework of the European Defence Industrial Development Programme (EDIDP), established by the European Commission in 2021. The project aims to develop a generic European MUM-T system that can operate robustly in multiple environments (civil, military or mixed), while reducing the crew’s workload and delivering maximum capacity in operation.

Airbus recently finalized its acquisition of US-based UAS developer Aerovel.