Australian start-up Drone Forge has entered an agreement to obtain six Airbus Helicopters Flexrotor unmanned air systems, comprising a total of 17 aircraft.
This is the largest deal yet for the Flexrotor, according to Airbus Helicopters.
The unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) will be configured for operations in the Asia-Pacific, including littoral surveillance, high-altitude missions over land, infrastructure monitoring, and maritime environment assessment.
“We are fully convinced that the Flexrotor, built on a strong engineering heritage, will allow us to tap into new markets with a proven solution where real-time intelligence, mission flexibility and reliability matters,” says Drone Forge chief executive Thomas Symes.
“We look forward to integrating and commercialising the Flexrotor systems in the region.”
The Flexrotor commitment follows a letter of intent between Airbus and Drone Forge signed in March for the two companies to collaborate on the deployment and operation of Flexrotor in the Asia-Pacific.
The aircraft features a heavy fuel engine optimised for maritime operations, and is equipped with Starlink connectivity, which enables beyond-line-of-sight operations.
The UAV is equipped with the PT-6 imaging system produced by US firm Overwatch Imaging.
