Airbus Increase Combat Capabilities of VSR700 helicopter drone with integration of Thales Belgium FZ602 rockets
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On June 17, 2025, at the Paris Air Show, Airbus Helicopters presented for the first time its VSR700 unmanned aerial system equipped with two 70 mm Thales Belgium FZ602 rocket launcher tubes, marking a key evolution in European rotary-wing drone armament. This demonstration signals the convergence of European UAV technology with precision strike capabilities for naval and land-based missions. The integration of these weapons enhances the tactical versatility of the VSR700 and reinforces Europe’s autonomous defense capabilities. Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
With the integration of Thales’s FZ602 rocket launchers, Airbus transforms the VSR700 from a naval scout to a tactical strike asset, opening new markets and operational concepts for European defense forces (Picture source: Army Recognition Group)
The VSR700 is an unmanned aerial vehicle developed by Airbus Helicopters in France, based on the civil Guimbal Cabri G2 platform, optimized for naval reconnaissance, ISTAR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, and Reconnaissance), and light strike missions. At Paris Air Show 2025, Airbus displayed it armed for the first time with two Thales FZ602 70 mm rocket launcher tubes, a combat-tested system developed in Belgium and widely used by NATO forces. This marks a shift in the VSR700’s operational doctrine from a pure reconnaissance asset to a multirole combat platform capable of kinetic action.
The VSR700 has been in development since its first flight in 2018, with a key milestone in 2023 when it completed fully autonomous takeoff and landing trials on a French Navy vessel. Airbus has continued refining the system’s endurance, payload integration, and data link security. The FZ602 rocket launcher, modular and compatible with laser-guided rockets, has already been integrated on manned platforms such as helicopters and light attack aircraft. The pairing with the VSR700 suggests a shift towards unmanned offensive capabilities at sea and over land, allowing low-risk engagement in contested zones.
Compared to other UAVs in the same class such as the Schiebel Camcopter S-100 or Leonardo’s AWHero, the VSR700 offers longer endurance (up to 10 hours), a larger payload capacity (over 100 kg), and now the ability to deliver precision munitions. Its integration with NATO-standard armament and C4ISR systems provides an interoperability edge. The use of Thales’s rocket launcher over indigenous or foreign alternatives highlights European defense industrial cooperation and aims to reduce dependency on non-EU armament sources.
Strategically, the armed VSR700 offers European navies and armies a stealthier, more flexible option for maritime interdiction, convoy escort, and precision close air support. Its deployment from naval decks without catapults or runways enables rapid response in littoral zones and archipelagic environments. In a geopolitical context marked by increasing tensions in the Baltic, Eastern Mediterranean, and Indo-Pacific, such an asset could enhance EU expeditionary presence and deterrence. Militarily, it aligns with doctrines favoring dispersed, unmanned, survivable ISR-strike capabilities in anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) environments.
The VSR700 program is backed by both Airbus internal funding and partial support from the French government under the SDAM (Système de Drone Aérien Marine) program. The integration of Thales FZ602 adds marginal cost compared to a full missile solution, making it attractive to middle-power nations. The use of off-the-shelf guided rockets also lowers operational costs and logistical burden. While precise program cost figures remain undisclosed, analysts estimate each VSR700 system with full mission package and armament could remain below €15 million per unit, well below the price of larger MALE UAVs.
With the integration of Thales’s FZ602 rocket launchers, Airbus transforms the VSR700 from a naval scout to a tactical strike asset, opening new markets and operational concepts for European defense forces. This first public display at the Paris Air Show 2025 underscores a growing trend of arming rotary-wing UAVs and signals Europe’s commitment to fielding interoperable, sovereign strike drone capabilities across air and sea domains.
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On June 17, 2025, at the Paris Air Show, Airbus Helicopters presented for the first time its VSR700 unmanned aerial system equipped with two 70 mm Thales Belgium FZ602 rocket launcher tubes, marking a key evolution in European rotary-wing drone armament. This demonstration signals the convergence of European UAV technology with precision strike capabilities for naval and land-based missions. The integration of these weapons enhances the tactical versatility of the VSR700 and reinforces Europe’s autonomous defense capabilities.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
With the integration of Thales’s FZ602 rocket launchers, Airbus transforms the VSR700 from a naval scout to a tactical strike asset, opening new markets and operational concepts for European defense forces (Picture source: Army Recognition Group)
The VSR700 is an unmanned aerial vehicle developed by Airbus Helicopters in France, based on the civil Guimbal Cabri G2 platform, optimized for naval reconnaissance, ISTAR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, and Reconnaissance), and light strike missions. At Paris Air Show 2025, Airbus displayed it armed for the first time with two Thales FZ602 70 mm rocket launcher tubes, a combat-tested system developed in Belgium and widely used by NATO forces. This marks a shift in the VSR700’s operational doctrine from a pure reconnaissance asset to a multirole combat platform capable of kinetic action.
The VSR700 has been in development since its first flight in 2018, with a key milestone in 2023 when it completed fully autonomous takeoff and landing trials on a French Navy vessel. Airbus has continued refining the system’s endurance, payload integration, and data link security. The FZ602 rocket launcher, modular and compatible with laser-guided rockets, has already been integrated on manned platforms such as helicopters and light attack aircraft. The pairing with the VSR700 suggests a shift towards unmanned offensive capabilities at sea and over land, allowing low-risk engagement in contested zones.
Compared to other UAVs in the same class such as the Schiebel Camcopter S-100 or Leonardo’s AWHero, the VSR700 offers longer endurance (up to 10 hours), a larger payload capacity (over 100 kg), and now the ability to deliver precision munitions. Its integration with NATO-standard armament and C4ISR systems provides an interoperability edge. The use of Thales’s rocket launcher over indigenous or foreign alternatives highlights European defense industrial cooperation and aims to reduce dependency on non-EU armament sources.
Strategically, the armed VSR700 offers European navies and armies a stealthier, more flexible option for maritime interdiction, convoy escort, and precision close air support. Its deployment from naval decks without catapults or runways enables rapid response in littoral zones and archipelagic environments. In a geopolitical context marked by increasing tensions in the Baltic, Eastern Mediterranean, and Indo-Pacific, such an asset could enhance EU expeditionary presence and deterrence. Militarily, it aligns with doctrines favoring dispersed, unmanned, survivable ISR-strike capabilities in anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) environments.
The VSR700 program is backed by both Airbus internal funding and partial support from the French government under the SDAM (Système de Drone Aérien Marine) program. The integration of Thales FZ602 adds marginal cost compared to a full missile solution, making it attractive to middle-power nations. The use of off-the-shelf guided rockets also lowers operational costs and logistical burden. While precise program cost figures remain undisclosed, analysts estimate each VSR700 system with full mission package and armament could remain below €15 million per unit, well below the price of larger MALE UAVs.
With the integration of Thales’s FZ602 rocket launchers, Airbus transforms the VSR700 from a naval scout to a tactical strike asset, opening new markets and operational concepts for European defense forces. This first public display at the Paris Air Show 2025 underscores a growing trend of arming rotary-wing UAVs and signals Europe’s commitment to fielding interoperable, sovereign strike drone capabilities across air and sea domains.
