Airbus Helicopters and Singapore DSTA to demonstrate integrated helicopter-drone operations

Airbus Helicopters and Singapore DSTA to demonstrate integrated helicopter-drone operations

(IN BRIEF) Airbus Helicopters and Singapore’s DSTA have teamed up to install Airbus’s HTeaming system on the RSAF’s H225M helicopter to enable direct piloted control of the Flexrotor UAS. Flight trials will assess how this crewed-uncrewed pairing improves situational awareness, mission adaptability and operational efficiency. DSTA’s CEO Ng Chad-Son highlighted the partnership’s potential as a force multiplier, while Airbus Helicopters’ CEO Bruno Even emphasized the value of combining pilot expertise with autonomous drone capabilities in real-world demonstrations.

(PRESS RELEASE) PARIS, 18-Jun-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — Airbus Helicopters and Singapore’s Defence Science and Technology Agency have entered into a strategic collaboration to develop crewed-uncrewed teaming capabilities using the RSAF’s H225M medium-lift helicopter alongside Airbus’s Flexrotor UAS. Under the agreement, engineers from DSTA and Airbus Helicopters will integrate Airbus’s new HTeaming system onto the H225M, enabling pilots to directly control the Flexrotor drone from the cockpit. The upcoming flight trials will validate how this seamless helicopter-drone partnership can boost situational awareness, extend mission flexibility and serve as a force multiplier in demanding operational scenarios.

“Partnering with Airbus Helicopters allows us to fuse our expertise in autonomous systems and helicopter operations to explore entirely new mission profiles,” said DSTA Chief Executive Ng Chad-Son. “By combining manned platforms with uncrewed assets, we’ll achieve enhanced effectiveness in complex environments.” Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters, added that “synergizing the skill of our pilots with the advanced autonomy of the Flexrotor opens up unparalleled operational agility. Real-world demonstrations with RSAF crews will be critical to maturing these solutions.”

Building on the H225M’s proven track record for night-time search and rescue in adverse weather, the HTeaming package—which comprises a communications modem, four antennas, a tablet interface and bespoke software—will be installed aboard RSAF aircraft ahead of the flight demonstration. The exercise is designed to showcase the tangible benefits of tight integration between rotorcraft and uncrewed aerial systems, offering the Singapore Armed Forces a glimpse into next-generation air operations.

Media Contacts:

Emmanuel Huberdeau
AIRBUS
Helicopters
+33 (0)6 17 27 93 31
emmanuel.huberdeau@airbus.com

Belinda Ng
AIRBUS
Asia-Pacific
+65 9683 6361
belinda.ng@airbus.com

SOURCE: AIRBUS