AIRBOXER

The AIRBOXER (HEF 32) is a single-rotor unmanned helicopter built by High Eye of the Netherlands for maritime intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions, and it has been selected as the Royal Netherlands Navy's shipborne unmanned aerial system.

Overview

High Eye traces its origins to 1998, when the company carried out early rotorcraft engineering work. Under CEO Joost de Ruiter, the company discontinued its earlier projects in 2013 to concentrate exclusively on unmanned helicopter development. Five years of development followed, and the Airboxer, internally designated HEF 32, entered the market in 2018 after flight trials conducted aboard a chartered vessel in April of that year; the type was subsequently exhibited at the Euronaval show in Paris later in 2018.

Civilian customers including Aalborg University in Denmark and Arctic UAV in Canada were disclosed in 2018. In October 2021, High Eye contracted UAV Navigation to integrate its VECTOR-600 autopilot into the Airboxer. In February 2024, High Eye announced it had won an international tender from the Netherlands Ministry of Defence for the Airboxer, and in May 2024 the company announced that the Royal Netherlands Navy had selected the system following an evaluation of maritime unmanned aerial systems.

Design and capabilities

The Airboxer is a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft built around a single main-rotor helicopter layout with a twin-bladed rotor system, a carbon-fibre airframe, and aluminium and steel-alloy components chosen for corrosion resistance. It uses fixed tricycle landing gear intended to allow operation from small vessels, and its systems carry an IP-67 environmental rating. Flight control is handled by a proprietary autopilot with dual CPUs and triple inertial measurement units for operation in GPS-denied environments.

Naval-technology.com's datasheet lists a length of 1.75 m and a maximum take-off weight of 21.5 kg, powered by a two-stroke 32cc air-cooled petrol engine — the "32" in the HEF 32 designation reflects this engine displacement. Unmannedsystemstechnology.com reported in February 2020 that High Eye had introduced an upgraded engine design, a two-cylinder 80cc air-cooled unit rated for 1,000 hours between overhauls. High Eye's current product pages state a payload capacity of up to 7 kg and an endurance of "4+ hours," reflecting the platform's continued development since the naval-technology.com datasheet was published.

Naval-technology.com lists a maximum speed of 130 km/h, a maximum range of 220 km, and a service ceiling of 2,500 m, with an endurance of over 4 hours at sea level. Payload options documented by naval-technology.com include electro-optical/infrared gimbals, LiDAR, magnetometers, AIS transceivers and communications-relay equipment; High Eye's current site also lists acoustic sensors and RF-analysis equipment among supported payloads.

Operational history

The Royal Netherlands Navy (Koninklijke Marine) is a confirmed Airboxer operator, having selected the system in May 2024 following the Netherlands Ministry of Defence's award of an international tender to High Eye in February 2024. Shephard Media reported that the Ministry of Defence contract covers integration across operations in Europe and abroad over a period of more than two years, including ground control systems, training modules, maintenance packages and EO/IR camera payloads.

High Eye's applications page also names Arctic UAV as an operator of the HEF 32 Airboxer for long-endurance unmanned operations in Arctic environments, and Oculus Airborne Sensoring of Mexico as an operator for public-safety and surveillance missions.

Frequently asked questions

What does the HEF 32 designation mean?

HEF 32 is High Eye's internal designation for the Airboxer; the "32" refers to the 32cc displacement of the engine used on early production aircraft.

How much payload can the Airboxer carry?

Naval-technology.com's datasheet lists a maximum payload of 5 kg; High Eye's current product page states the platform can carry up to 7 kg.

What is the Airboxer's range and endurance?

Naval-technology.com lists a maximum range of 220 km and an endurance of over 4 hours at sea level.

What is the Airboxer's maximum takeoff weight and speed?

Naval-technology.com lists a maximum take-off weight of 21.5 kg and a maximum speed of 130 km/h.

Who operates the Airboxer?

Confirmed operators include the Royal Netherlands Navy (selected in 2024), Arctic UAV, and Oculus Airborne Sensoring.

When did the Airboxer first fly?

Naval-technology.com reports successful flight trials in April 2018, with the type entering the market that year.