![]()
Robinson Helicopter Company announced its expansion into unmanned and autonomous aircraft on Tuesday with its new business unit, Robinson Unmanned.
Robinson Unmanned is dedicated to the development and support of remotely piloted and autonomous aircraft. It integrates the coaxial, modular, small UAS from subsidiary Ascent AeroSystems, as well as introduces larger uncrewed platforms built on the R44 and R66 platforms. The company claims that it offers the broadest portfolio of platforms and aircraft capable of remotely piloted and autonomous operations that can be used for civil, commercial, and defence missions.
"At Robinson Unmanned, our primary mission is to expand customer capability through mass deployment of unmanned vertical lift," said Paul Fermo, Robinson Unmanned president. "We are moving past the era of static solutions and instead championing rapid iteration and seamless technology integration. By focusing our engineering expertise on modular, open systems, and autonomy-agnostic platforms, we ensure our fleet evolves at the speed of the mission, not the speed of a traditional procurement cycle. Our competitive edge lies in Robinson's vertically integrated manufacturing and scalability, which allows us to deliver aircraft-grade performance at a cost structure built for high-volume operations. Furthermore, our purpose-designed architecture allows us to scale effortlessly from single-system precision to complex, coordinated swarm missions."
The small UAS platforms in the company's portfolio include the HELIUS, the SPIRIT and the SPARTAN. They are categorised as Group 1 and 2 NDAA-Compliant Coaxial UAS. The HELIUS is a pocket-sized, hand-deployable nano UAS that is designed to provide rapid aerial awareness in confined and high-risk environments. The SPIRIT multi-mission UAS is engineered for defence, inspection, and surveillance missions. The SPARTAN is a high-performance coaxial platform designed for extended endurance, multi-sensor integration, and scalable enterprise and defence operations.
RELATED STORIES:
DOT announces projects selected for U.S. eVTOL Integration Pilot Program
Archer partners with Starlink to bring connectivity to Midnight air taxis
Robinson Helicopter Company recieves approval to install new flight control system in R66
The large UAS platforms are categorised as Group 3 and 4 UAS and are built on Robinson Helicopter airframes, engines, drivetrains, and rotor systems. The platforms are the R44 AIRTRUCK, the R44 SPRAYHAWK and the R66 TURBINETRUCK. The AIRTRUCK is a heavy-lift platform built for cargo transport, resupply and persistent surveillance missions. The SPRAYHAWK is a precision aerial application platform purpose-built for agricultural and environmental operations. The TURBINETRUCK is a next-generation unmanned cargo platform designed to support defence logistics and operations in severe environments. Both R44 platforms feature the RPX autonomy suite by Rotor Technologies, while the initial variant of the R66 features the Matrix autonomy system from Sikorsky.
"Robinson is officially entering the 'Era of Both,' a fundamental shift where flight is no longer a choice between human intuition and machine precision, but the seamless integration of both," said David Smith, Robinson Helicopter Company president and CEO. "By folding the Rotor Technologies R44 remotely piloted solutions into our existing fleet of Ascent small and technology-agnostic, heavy-lift drones, we are creating a versatile ecosystem of certified, proven airframes capable of tackling any mission profile. Our goal isn't just to build better helicopters; it's to build smarter, safer VTOL solutions. By fusing human expertise with autonomous reliability, we are massively amplifying mission capability while significantly reducing operational risk. In environments where the danger is highest, our technology is at its strongest, ensuring that we aren't just protecting the pilot, but redefining what's possible."