UK to buy New Zealand-made SYOS Aerospace drones for Ukraine in US$40m deal – photos
The United Kingdom will purchase drones produced by New Zealand’s SYOS Aerospace for Ukraine under a contract worth £30 million (approx. US$40m).
Source: Army Recognition, as reported by Mezha Media, a technology and IT news platform within Ukrainska Pravda’s holding company
Details: SYOS Aerospace offers a range of autonomous unmanned systems, including aerial, surface and ground-based platforms.
One of the drones, the SA5 UAS, is a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) system powered by a petrol engine. It has a flight time of eight to ten hours and supports swarm operations via the AAIMS system, as well as GNSS-independent navigation using MuV-NaP.
The SA5 can operate without preloaded maps, determining its position autonomously, even at night. It is designed for land and maritime reconnaissance and is capable of landing on moving vessels.
Another model, the SA200 UAS, is an unmanned helicopter with a payload capacity of 200 kg and a base range of 230 km. With an auxiliary fuel tank, its range increases to nearly 1,000 km and its endurance exceeds eight hours. It is suited for reconnaissance, electronic warfare and logistics missions.
The SG400 UGV is a 6×6 unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) with an optional tracked configuration. It can carry up to 500 kg of cargo and has a range of up to 230 km. The platform supports autonomous navigation and swarm coordination using computer vision and maintains communication via RF, LTE, or satellite channels with encryption.
The SM300 USV is a sea-based unmanned surface vessel with a payload capacity of up to 300 kg and a range of up to 650 nautical miles. It is intended for reconnaissance, electronic warfare, signal relay and cargo delivery. Key features include AI-based mission planning, target detection and visual positioning-based navigation.
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