© Petty Officer 2nd Class Elliot Schaudt
Geelong, Australia, 27 March 2025 – Australian aerospace start-up Drone Forge and Airbus have signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to collaborate on the deployment and operational integration of the Flexrotor uncrewed aerial system.
This agreement, which includes the acquisition of Flexrotor systems, marks a critical step towards transforming uncrewed aviation with game-changing solutions and technologies tailored for tactical operations.
“This partnership between Airbus and Drone Forge is a giant leap forward in the evolution and progress of the UAV industry. When we deliver a capability or product to a customer, they expect a proven solution, partnerships committed to safety, and teams that can provide world class support. This partnership will provide customers with all of these and more,” said Thomas Symes, Chief Executive Officer of Drone Forge.
Symes added: “The Asia-Pacific region presents a significant opportunity for a UAV solution like the Flexrotor. Built on Drone Forge’s values of trust and performance, this partnership with Airbus aims to fully commercialise the Flexrotor across commercial, government, and defence sectors.”
“This agreement outlines a shared commitment to explore opportunities for implementing innovative Flexrotor technologies in the region. Designed as a force multiplier for diverse missions in defence and security applications, this partnership signals strong confidence in our Flexrotor capabilities and offers perfect crewed-uncrewed teaming possibilities for aircraft operators,” said William Sampson, Head of Market Operations of Airbus Helicopters.
As part of Drone Forge’s portfolio expansion, the company has established a UAS service centre in Perth, Western Australia, to provide training, maintenance and support services for a range of UAS including the Flexrotor.
The Flexrotor, is Airbus’ newest addition to its UAS portfolio. A modern Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) uncrewed aircraft with a maximum launch weight of 25 kg (55 lbs), it has been designed for ISTAR missions for more than 12-14 hours in a typical operational configuration. It can integrate different types of payloads including an electro-optical system and advanced sensors to suit customers’ unique mission needs. With the ability to autonomously launch and recover from either land or sea requiring only a 3.7 by 3.7 m (12 by 12 ft.) area, the Flexrotor is ideal for expeditionary missions requiring minimal footprint. Through the support of the US Department of Defence (DoD), and contracted deployment in a variety of maritime security exercises, the Flexrotor is a mission-proven, force multiplier for operations in harsh, high-threat, GPS-denied environments.
The Flexrotor is also being operated for parapublic missions such as forest fire surveillance (providing firefighters with critical images day or night) and can address other demanding mission needs, including ice navigation (helping guide naval vessels through ice in the Arctic ocean), law enforcement, and border patrol.
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