Airbus Helicopters and the Spanish Navy completed a successful flight trial in Rota, Spain, earlier this month. The tests demonstrated advanced multi-domain operations through a tactical demonstration involving a naval vessel, a crewed helicopter, and several autonomous military drones, also known as unmanned aerial systems (UAS).

By simulating a high-speed boat chase, the Spanish Navy demonstrated a highly coordinated operation involving drones seamlessly operated from the cockpit of a helicopter.

Spanish Navy puts helicopter-drone capabilities to the test

The exercise, conducted earlier in May 2026 off Rota, southern Spain, linked the offshore patrol vessel Rayo with a Spanish Navy H135 helicopter and two UAS platforms: Airbus’s Flexrotor and the A900 from Alpha Unmanned Systems. During the trial, operators used Airbus’s HTeaming solution to enable real-time control and data sharing among the assets.

HTeaming is Airbus Helicopters’ modular crewed-uncrewed teaming solution, which is controlled from the helicopter via a tablet. During the trials, it allowed a pilot aboard the H135 to direct the drones. The HTeaming tablet demonstrated interoperability by successfully allowing the pilot to control the third-party A900 platform.

According to an Airbus press statement, the trials validated the ability to establish a multi-domain operational link. This link allowed the ship to receive critical imagery and sensor data from areas well beyond its onboard sensors.

The trial scenario simulated a high-speed boat chase as part of an intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR) maritime operation.

The Flexrotor and A900 tracked the target and streamed live video to both the helicopter and the Rayo. Data from the UAS was routed through Airbus’s Helicopter Integrated Tactical System to Navantia’s NAIAD system, which integrates with the Spanish Navy’s SCOMBA combat management system. This enabled command and control across aerial, surface, and potentially underwater assets.

Strengthening Europe’s role as a ‘sovereign leader in defence’

As Airbus explained in its statement, the demonstration marks a step toward greater mission efficiency and extended operational reach. During the trial, both uncrewed systems conducted take-offs and landings from the moving vessel. The HTeaming tablet, meanwhile, provided helicopter crews with direct control over uncrewed systems in flight and integrated their sensors into crewed operations.

“Airbus Helicopters is committed to exploring new frontiers in crewed-uncrewed teaming that brings real added value to customers,” said Fernando Lombo, Managing Director of Airbus Helicopters in Spain. “The close collaboration between pioneering companies such as Airbus, Navantia, and Alpha Unmanned Systems, combined with the trust of public entities like the Spanish Navy, shows our shared potential to strengthen Europe’s role as a sovereign leader in defense.”

Airbus aims to continue advancing its drone swarm capabilities, with plans for deeper integration across the air, sea, and land domains. This work is part of the growing global effort to develop state-of-the-art drone systems.

Since the start of Russia’s war in Ukraine, drones have become a ubiquitous technology in modern conflicts. In May 2024, Ukrainian military officials stated that “drones kill more soldiers on both sides than anything else.” An EU Institute for Security Studies report, meanwhile, recently explained that Russia procures 100,000 low-tier drones monthly from multiple sources.