Airbus Helicopters shows its H145M with the HTeaming it tested with the Spanish Navy

Combined operations between manned and unmanned aircraft are one of the objectives of several defense programs already underway.

The qualities of the H145M, chosen to be the main helicopter of the Spanish Army
The H135 P3H Nival helicopters of the Spanish Navy seen very closely

One of them is Airbus Helicopters' HTeaming, which this European firm defines as a modular solution for collaboration between manned and unmanned aircraft "empowering helicopter crews with full control over uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) in flight." Airbus Helicopters has today published a demonstration of the use of this system with its H145M helicopters to control one of the products of another Airbus subsidiary, the Survey Copter Aliaca drone, in a hostage rescue operation:

Regarding HTeaming, Airbus Helicopters states: "This innovative system allows for more efficient mission execution by integrating the sensors and effectors of uncrewed systems into manned helicopter operations. Designed for intuitive use and reduced workload, HTeaming is a flexible solution, available as standalone or integrated into the helicopter's mission system."

With HTeaming, drone control is managed from the helicopter cockpit, with "a standalone solution with a tablet-based Human-Machine Interface or integrated into an existing mission system, HTeaming ensures that helicopter crews can effortlessly manage UAS operations. This capability significantly expands mission capabilities, allowing crews to leverage uncrewed assets for observation, reconnaissance, and more, all while maintaining focus on their primary tasks", notes Airbus Helicopters.

This system was recently tested by the Spanish Navy for controlling unmanned aerial vehicles from one of the H135 P3H Nival helicopters of the 12th Squadron. In that test, the connection was made with two types of drones, the Airbus Flexrotor and the Alpha 900, from the maritime action vessel "Rayo" P-42.

The video released today by Airbus Helicopters is a great opportunity to see the H145M in action. As we saw here a few months ago, the H145M has been chosen to become the main helicopter of the Spanish Army, with an order for 50 units. This aircraft can be used for training, medical evacuation, special operations, and light attack missions, among others. The HTeaming would be an ideal complement to expand its capabilities in the Spanish Army's Airmobile Forces (FAMET) without depending on solutions manufactured outside the European Union.

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Images: Airbus Helicopters.