Airbus Helicopters’ U030 Flexrotor, an uncrewed aerial system built for tactical surveillance, has officially begun operations in the Baltic Sea on behalf of the European Maritime Safety Agency.
The announcement came July 22, 2026, at the Farnborough International Airshow.
The deployment follows a €30 million (US$32 million) framework contract Airbus Helicopters secured with EMSA in December 2025 to provide remotely piloted aircraft services for maritime surveillance across the European Union, working alongside sub-contractor operator Extensee.
Operations began after a series of test flights confirmed the system met technical and regulatory requirements ahead of entering service, and helped hand over operations to Extensee.
Airbus U030 Flexrotor starts operations with the European Maritime Safety Agency
— Airbus Newsroom (@AirbusPRESS) July 22, 2026
Read the press release: https://t.co/RKg2PHlIql pic.twitter.com/BVNksGRvf2
First deployment covers Estonia, Latvia, and Finland
The Flexrotor’s first operational deployment launched in July 2026, covering the Baltic region across Estonia, Latvia, and Finland, marking the aircraft’s entry into service under the EMSA framework and giving national authorities in the region additional support for maritime surveillance.
Victor Gerin-Roze, Head of Uncrewed Aerial Systems at Airbus Helicopters, said the company is pleased to see the U030 Flexrotor begin operational service under EMSA, calling it the system’s first operational deployment in Europe and a meaningful contribution to maritime surveillance efforts. He said the launch in the Baltics shows the aircraft’s ability to operate across different maritime environments while supporting coast guard functions, adding that the contract reflects Airbus’s role in helping protect Europe and strengthen its sovereignty.
What the Flexrotor system delivers
The Flexrotor gathers operational intelligence through electro-optical and infrared sensors, along with radar payloads, streaming that data in real time to the EMSA RPAS Data Centre. That setup lets participating national authorities follow missions as they happen and fold the information directly into their own operations.
The system is designed to support a range of coast guard functions, including search and rescue, fisheries control, environmental monitoring, and detecting illicit activity at sea.
Airbus Helicopters manages and coordinates the RPAS operations under the EMSA framework, which allows for multiple simultaneous deployments across participating countries, while Extensee handles the day-to-day operation of the Flexrotor itself.