Airbus has signed a $35 million framework agreement with the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) to provide maritime surveillance services using the Flexrotor drone.
The agreement provides for direct support to coast guard missions in the Member States of the European Union as well as in Norway and Iceland. The deployment is scheduled to begin in 2026 and can last up to four years.
The Flexrotor is used for tasks such as search and rescue, fisheries control, environmental protection and the identification of illegal maritime activities. The aircraft transmit electro-optical and infrared images as well as radar data in real time to EMSA’s RPAS data center, allowing national authorities to follow the missions live via a central system.
Designed for operations in demanding maritime environments, the Flexrotor is a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) drone, with a maximum weight of 25 kg and an endurance of up to 10 hours in the configuration used by EMSA.
According to Airbus, the platform is characterized by its flexibility, long flight duration and the ability to operate both on land and at sea, even with minimal infrastructure.
Those: Defence Blog | Photo: X @AirbusPRESS | This content was created using AI and reviewed by the editorial team
European Maritime Safety Agency selects Airbus Flexrotor drone for maritime surveillance missions
Read the press release: LINK pic.twitter.com/IeGlKlCZtl— Airbus Newsroom (@AirbusPRESS) December 17, 2025
