Korea's UI Helicopter Successfully Demonstrates Schiebel S-100 UAV Mine Detection Capabilities in South Sea

• UI Helicopter, Korea’s only comprehensive rotary-wing aircraft MRO and service specialist, announced the successful completion of mine detection demonstrations using the Schiebel CAMCOPTER S-100 unmanned helicopter in the South Sea from Oct. 23, in collaboration with the Republic of Korea Navy.

The demonstration proceeded despite adverse weather conditions with strong winds and rain, with the S-100 successfully completing all six scheduled flight missions.

The multi-day demonstration, centered around Navy vessels, was attended by domestic and international naval officials, along with representatives from UI Helicopter, Schiebel, and Riegle. The S-100 was equipped with Riegle’s LiDAR sensor to detect various types of underwater mines and featured an Automatic Identification System (AIS) and an upgraded kerosene engine, demonstrating stability and sustained operational capability in maritime environments.

Following this demonstration, UI Helicopter plans to enhance the Navy’s mine mission efficiency and strengthen follow-up support systems including maintenance, operations, and training, thereby internalizing the entire process of unmanned aerial operations.

A company official stated,

“The fact that the S-100 demonstrated excellent performance in Korea’s operational environment is highly significant,” adding, “We will be able to reliably support the Navy’s expansion of unmanned assets going forward.”

UI Helicopter is currently developing the next-generation unmanned aircraft ‘S-300K,’ an advanced larger variant of the S-100, in collaboration with Hanwha Systems and Schiebel. The company aims to complete the prototype by 2028 and plans to advance Korea’s unmanned aircraft production and maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) systems to the next level.

CEO Rim Sungwieh stated:

“This demonstration proved that the S-100 can deliver excellent stability and mission performance even in Korea’s diverse maritime environments.” He added, “We will strengthen our production capacity for medium-sized UAVs and enhance our comprehensive maintenance capabilities to reliably support the Navy’s operational readiness, while leading innovation in defense unmanned systems through the development of next-generation UAVs.”

Based on its specialized expertise accumulated through multi-type helicopter maintenance (MRO) and system integration technologies, UI Helicopter operates the nation’s only rotary-wing service infrastructure with a standardized process for composite material repair, inspection, and maintenance.

Building on this technological foundation, the company plans to expand its business into UAV fuselage and blade production and heavy-lift drone development, aiming to grow into a core enterprise in both the defense and civilian unmanned aviation sectors.

Source: UI Helicopter