SURVEY Copter

What SURVEY Copter does

Survey Copter is a French designer and manufacturer of tactical unmanned aerial systems (UAS), founded in 1996 and headquartered in Pierrelatte, France. The company operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Airbus, with its tactical UAS portfolio — Aliaca (fixed-wing/VTOL drone, 25-120 kg class), Flexrotor (long-endurance ISR), and Capa-X (multi-mission platform) — consolidated in October 2025 under the Airbus Helicopters division to form a unified product family and crewed-uncrewed center of excellence for defence customers.

Its technology stack is built around proprietary autonomy and integration assets: HTeaming for crewed-uncrewed teaming that lets helicopter crews control uncrewed systems in flight; MARS Autonomy for multi-agent mission autonomy across crewed and uncrewed platforms; DeckFinder for autonomous ship-deck landing; and real-time image and video processing for ISTAR (intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, reconnaissance) missions on systems such as VSR700 and SIRTAP. These capabilities are positioned as complements to Airbus's manned helicopter expertise rather than standalone drone offerings, with explicit emphasis on complex non-disposable systems in contrast to low-cost disposable Ukrainian-conflict-era drones.

Commercially, Survey Copter generates revenue from hardware sales (Aliaca, Capa-X; 30 units in 2026, targeting 60+ by 2027) and from UAS support and professional services delivered through Airbus DS Airborne Solutions GmbH, with quote-based procurement pricing typical of defence customers. End customers named in the dataset are the French Navy (VSR700) and US Navy (unmanned H145/Lakota delivery targeted by 2030), served through Airbus's enterprise field-sales motion and, increasingly, through European Defence Agency collaborative programs such as the €1.1 million M2UAS initiative that began in March 2026. Subsidiary-level revenue and management bios are not publicly disclosed, and headcount is scaling from 60 to 80 employees alongside a €2 million investment in a new Pierrelatte hangar.

Name

SURVEY Copter

Legal name

Survey Copter

Website

https://survey-copter.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Survey Copter, a French Airbus subsidiary founded in 1996, designs and manufactures tactical unmanned aerial systems (Aliaca, Flexrotor, Capa-X) for military and government customers, specializing in crewed-uncrewed teaming and autonomous naval operations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tactical Unmanned Aerial Systems

NAICS

Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511)

SIC

Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812), Aircraft (3721), Aircraft & Parts (3720)

akta.pro primary industry

Military Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) & Autonomous Aerial Platforms (IMABAMAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fixed-Wing Unmanned Aircraft (UAV) (IMABAIAB), VTOL & Hybrid UAV Platforms (IMABAIAC), Autonomy Software, AI & Mission Management (UAS/UXV) (IMABAIAH), Autonomous Flight Control & Guidance Systems (UAS/Urban Air Mobility) (IMABAFAO)

Keywords

• Tactical drone systems
• Unmanned aerial systems
• Military UAV platforms
• Defence unmanned helicopters
• ISR drone technology

Headquarters

HQ city

Pierrelatte

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Drone Manufacturing and Sales: Manufacturing and selling tactical unmanned aerial systems (Aliaca, Capa-X, Flexrotor) to military and government customers. Production capacity of 30 units in 2026, with plans to double by 2027. Focus on complex, non-disposable systems rather than low-cost disposable models.
2. UAS Support and Services: Comprehensive support services for UAS operations including training, maintenance, and operational support through Airbus DS Airborne Solutions GmbH.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

SURVEY Copter designs, manufactures, and provides operational support for tactical mini unmanned aerial systems (UAS) used by military and government defence customers. Its product portfolio includes the Aliaca, Flexrotor, and Capa-X tactical drones, along with unmanned helicopter systems such as the VSR700. The company focuses on complex, non-disposable UAS designed to operate alongside manned aircraft for ISTAR, electronic warfare, naval, and crewed-uncrewed teaming missions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Aliaca: Small to medium tactical drone system operated by Survey Copter
• Flexrotor
• Capa-X

Products and services

• Aliaca

Quantifiable outcome

• Doubling production capacity by 2027 (from 30 units to 60+ units annually)

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• European Defence AgencycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2026Survey Copter, through Airbus Helicopters, was selected by the European Defence Agency to participate in the Multi Mission Unmanned Aircraft System (M2UAS) project. The 48-month programme aims to expand capabilities of the Capa-X uncrewed aerial system, developing a hybrid multi-mission drone platform for surveillance, reconnaissance, electronic warfare, and automated in-flight refueling. Total budget is approximately €1.1 million.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ): Turkish aerospace prime producing the Bayraktar TB2 and Akıncı UAS, which have defined the tactical UAS export market. A structural competitor to Survey Copter for European rearmament-era drone procurement.
• Elbit Systems: Israeli defense prime with a broad UAS portfolio (Hermes, THOR). Overlaps with Survey Copter in tactical ISTAR drones and EW-capable UAS for European and NATO defense customers.
• Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI): Large Israeli aerospace and defense prime producing tactical and MALE UAS (Heron, Harop). Competes with Survey Copter for European defense procurement and offers overlapping ISTAR and EW capabilities.
• Thales: French defense and aerospace conglomerate with UAS-related capabilities (Watchkeeper, drone integration). Domestic French peer competing for the same defense procurement budget and naval UAS programs.
• General Atomics Aeronautical Systems: US manufacturer of MQ-9 Reaper and MQ-1 Predator MALE UAS. A larger incumbent in the defense UAS market, competing for the same European and NATO rearmament budgets.
• Lockheed Martin: US defense prime with UAS involvement (Indago, Vector Hawk, Stalker XE) and a major player in the same defense UAS procurement space, particularly through allied military sales channels.
• Leonardo: Italian defense and aerospace prime with rotary-wing and UAS capabilities (AWHERO). Competes with Survey Copter in European tactical UAS and helicopter-drone teaming programs.

Direct peers

• Schiebel: Austrian manufacturer of the Camcopter S-100 VTOL unmanned helicopter, a direct technical analog to Survey Copter's VSR700 and unmanned H145 in the naval and tactical VTOL UAS segment.
• AeroVironment: US-based tactical UAS manufacturer producing small and medium ISR/loitering drones (Switchblade, Puma, Raven) for defense customers. Directly comparable to Survey Copter in targeting small-to-medium tactical UAS for military ISTAR and strike missions.

Regional players

• Saab: Swedish defense prime producing tactical UAS (Skeldar) and competing for European naval and tactical drone programs with offerings comparable to Survey Copter's VTOL and ISTAR platforms.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/airbus
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/airbus
• Facebookfacebook.com/airbus
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/airbusgroup
• Instagraminstagram.com/airbus

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SURVEY Copter