Role & capabilities
- Reconnaissance aircraft
- Primary domain
- Air
- System type
- Reconnaissance aircraft
- Developer / manufacturer
- Airbus Helicopters; Naval Group integration
- Origin / production countries
- France
- Other names
- VSR700; U070; SDAM
- Variants / configurations
- VSR700 demonstrators; U070 French naval ISR configuration
- Operators / programme customers
- French Navy — six ordered, planned operation from 2028
Evidence & current status
Published performance is supplier-reported and configuration dependent; operational use does not independently validate every specification.
Airbus U070 is the current name for the VSR700 uncrewed helicopter. It derives from the crewed Guimbal Cabri G2 and has been developed for maritime and other government applications. The French naval programme combines Airbus's air vehicle with Naval Group's ship and mission-system integration.
In January 2026 Airbus announced a contract for six aircraft, with French Navy operation planned from 2028. The contracted intelligence and surveillance configuration comprises radar, electro-optical equipment and an AIS receiver. Land and sea trials support the programme's maturity, but an order for future delivery is not the same as an operational fleet already in service.
Airbus also advertises cargo and other multirole possibilities. These should remain distinct from the sensors actually specified for the French order. Similarly, the programme's earlier name remains useful for finding historical reporting, but should not create a second counted aircraft family. The specifications here identify the current product and naval contract baselines; payload and duration limits depend on the installed mission equipment.
Sourced specifications
Figures apply to the named configuration. Maximum values are not guaranteed operating performance.
| Specification | Reported value | Context & source |
|---|---|---|
| Airframe | Uncrewed helicopter derived from Guimbal Cabri G2 | Manufacturer-published specification; maximum values are not necessarily simultaneous. Source ↗ |
| Launch / recovery | Automatic vertical take-off and landing; naval deck operation | Manufacturer-published specification; maximum values are not necessarily simultaneous. Source ↗ |
| Propulsion | Diesel engine | Manufacturer-published specification; maximum values are not necessarily simultaneous. Source ↗ |
| Dimensions | Not established from the reviewed public sources. | Public data gap; no estimate or neighbouring variant value substituted. Source ↗ |
| Mass | Not established from the reviewed public sources. | Public data gap; no estimate or neighbouring variant value substituted. Source ↗ |
| Endurance | Eight-hour class | Manufacturer-published specification; maximum values are not necessarily simultaneous. Source ↗ |
| Range | Approximately 150 km from host ship | Naval programme advertised operational reach. Source ↗ |
| Speed | Not established from the reviewed public sources. | Public data gap; no estimate or neighbouring variant value substituted. Source ↗ |
| Altitude | Not established from the reviewed public sources. | Public data gap; no estimate or neighbouring variant value substituted. Source ↗ |
| Payload | Up to 80 kg | Naval Group programme figure. Source ↗ |
| Sensors | French order: surveillance radar, EO system and AIS | Manufacturer-published specification; maximum values are not necessarily simultaneous. Source ↗ |
| Communications / navigation | Not established from the reviewed public sources. | Public data gap; no estimate or neighbouring variant value substituted. Source ↗ |
Documented milestones
French production contract announced
Six systems ordered for planned French Navy operation from 2028.
Read the announcement ↗
Publication history
- — Added a sourced global catalogue profile with configuration-specific data and explicit evidence limits.
Suggest a correction to this entry →
Follow the evidence
Source types identify who makes the claim. Programme milestones and supplier statements should be read in context.
- Airbus U070 current product overview (opens in a new tab)Manufacturer / programme
- French order announcement, 16 January 2026 (opens in a new tab)Manufacturer / programme
- Naval Group contract and performance summary (opens in a new tab)Manufacturer / programme