Uncrewed systems developer Syos Aerospace will shortly announce where in the UK it intends to locate a new production line for its SA200 rotary-wing drone.
Although Syos already operates from a site in Fareham in southern England, it is predominantly focused on the maritime domain.
A 200kg (440lb)-payload platform, the SA200 has so far only been built in small quantities for testing and development work, plus customer demonstrations, says founder and chief executive Sam Vye.
But with plans to launch serial production, the firm, jointly headquartered in the UK and New Zealand, needs a facility dedicated to the platform.
“Right now, we are establishing a production site in the UK for the SA200, along with a domestic supply chain,” says Vye.
He describes the SA200 as a “mature uncrewed helicopter” which has been developed over the last five years.
“The key point behind the SA200 is that it follows the design philosophy that we have across all our vehicles – and of course we are across air, land and sea – but it’s all built on a central system that is designed to command not control, which allows us to have a high degree of autonomy.”
Syos’s “philosophy”, he says, is to “create the systems that meet the capability requirement at the lowest possible cost price point”, noting that its vehicles fit firmly in the attritable rather than “exquisite” category.
“It’s not just about developing amazing technology – you have to be able to do it and deliver it en masse with a resilient supply chain at the lowest possible price point,” says Vye.
Besides addressing wider demand, the need for a UK site is driven by potential opportunities to supply the country’s armed forces.
Syos was one of seven companies recently selected by the UK Ministry of Defence to participate in its tender for Project Nyx – an effort to develop a ‘loyal wingman’ drone that will work in tandem with the British Army’s Boeing AH-64E attack helicopters.
However, it finds itself among industry heavyweights: Anduril, BAE Systems, Leonardo, Lockheed Martin, Tekever and Thales make up the remaining contenders.
“Nyx is interesting because there are all the primes, and Tekever which has obviously proven itself really well, and Syos.
“Some might see us as a wildcard but those that know us and know our vehicle and our [control] system will realise we are very well placed,” he says.
But with the Nyx requirements including a payload in excess of 250kg, Syos is undertaking “some further development to broaden [the SA200’s] scope”, he says.
He declines to reveal details of the changes, describing the proposed product as a “version of the SA200”.
Similarly, Vye is reluctant to disclose whether Syos will seek partners with which to pursue the tender, or whether it may also seek to work with a larger prime contractor.
“We have primed large contracts previously and we are definitely not nervous of priming Project Nyx, but right now we are reviewing various opportunities to position us best for the long term,” he says.
Should Syos ultimately prevail, Vye is confident it could quickly scale production to meet the required volumes.
“We have the culture that allows us to be able to deliver very quickly and at the masses required,” he says, pointing to its experience in the uncrewed surface vehicle segment.
