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In the middle of the Austrian countryside, a few sleek, hi-tech drones sit in a bright production hall, ready for missions over Ukraine, the Mediterranean or the Middle East.
Schiebel, a small company originally specialised in landmine detection, has been manufacturing the Camcopter - a 3.5-metre long mini-helicopter equipped with cameras, radars and other sensors - for almost 10 years.
But it has gained prominence with a new mission in Ukraine, where the Camcopter will assist observers from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe to monitor a ceasefire with pro-Russian rebels.
Even before this, there were surveillance missions at the Winter Olympics in Sochi and the G20 summit in Seoul.
"Schiebel is actually the leading unmanned VTOL [Vertical Take Off and Landing] supplier at present," according to Oliver Shorvon of London-based IHS Jane's Aerospace and Defence Consulting.
Costing a few million euros, with over eight hours' endurance and weighing a mere 200kg, the Camcopter managed to impose itself over a dozen other drones, even those produced by top defence companies such as Sweden's SaaB and Airbus.
"It's a proven design, and it's relatively affordable ... and because it's been in use for the last 10 years, they've ironed out a lot of the operational issues," Shorvon said.
With unique technology allowing it to land on ships at sea, even in strong winds, the Camcopter has become a prime choice for missions with the Italian navy to locate refugee boats crossing the Mediterranean from northern Africa.
The company's clients range from the United Arab Emirates to South Korea and the United States and France. With the OSCE mission, Schiebel has finally made it into the spotlight.
Guided by a UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) pilot and a camera operator, and equipped with night cameras and heat sensors, the Camcopters - four drones are reportedly expected in Ukraine - will be able to track group movements and vehicle convoys, even zooming in on car plates.
"This technology will allow the OSCE to monitor larger areas and to gather real-time information even in an insecure environment," the organisation said after selecting Schiebel.
In practice, this means that "if there's an artillery attack on a hospital, the OSCE will have the possibility very quickly to send the helicopter within a radius of 200km to assess 'yes, there was shelling here, it was not significant' or 'the main building was hit, people were hurt'," Schiebel CEO Hannes Hecher said.
"The OSCE will have this information immediately. And it ... won't be hearsay anymore but facts," he added, referring to the often conflicting reports from rival groups in the region.


Austrian drones set for surveillance mission in Ukraine

The Austrian-made, unmanned Schiebel Camcopter. Photo: AFP

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Austrian firm's Camcopter will monitor ceasefire with pro-Russian rebels


In the middle of the Austrian countryside, a few sleek, hi-tech drones sit in a bright production hall, ready for missions over Ukraine, the Mediterranean or the Middle East.


Austrian drones set for surveillance mission in Ukraine

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Austrian firm's Camcopter will monitor ceasefire with pro-Russian rebels

Austrian firm's Camcopter will monitor ceasefire with pro-Russian rebels