Airbus is targeting the fast-growing US market for low-cost attritable drones after the recent purchase of American manufacturer Aerovel, whose flagship product has been tested by the US Navy, the CEO of Airbus’s US-based defense unit said.
Airbus said its newly finalized acquisition of drone maker Aerovel will allow it to bolster its tactical unmanned systems business and could help it compete for U.S. Defense Department programs such as Replicator.
Rob Geckle, the CEO of Airbus’ space and defense division in
the United States, told reporters Wednesday the acquisition of Aerovel will add
the Flexrotor small tactical drone to Airbus’ portfolio. The Flexrotor can take
off and land vertically as well as provide intelligence, surveillance, target
acquisition and reconnaissance capabilities on land or at sea.
The French firm signed an agreement in January to acquire
the U.S. business, and announced Tuesday the acquisition was finalized.
Geckle called Flexrotor a “unique technology,” whose
affordability, range and flexibility makes it well-suited for expeditionary
missions and to sell to the Defense Department an “affordable mass” capability.
Flexrotor’s ability to take off and land vertically means it
can operate without a runway, Geckle said. A two-person crew can assemble one
of the drones in 10 minutes, he added, and then vertically launch it from a
12-square-foot area without the need for launch or recovery equipment.
It also has autonomous capabilities, is attritable — meaning
it is inexpensive enough that the military could afford to lose some in
operations — and in 2017 set a flight endurance record for its class when it
flew 32 hours nonstop.
Geckle pointed to the Navy’s November 2023 experimentation
with Flexrotor on the guided-missile destroyer Stethem during operations in the
Gulf of Oman as an example of how it could be used by the military.
Geckle said the DoD’s nascent Replicator program — an effort
to field thousands of drones to help counter China — is “really tantalizing” as
a potential area where Flexrotor could compete. He also sees opportunities to
sell Flexrotor to the Navy, Coast Guard and Army — primarily in the maritime
world, he said, but not exclusively.
Flexrotor will continue to be built at Aerovel’s former
facility in Bingen, Washington. Airbus hopes to use its experience with
engineering and manufacturing other unmanned aircraft will help accelerate the
development of Flexrotor and expand the Bingen facility, Geckle said.
Geckle expressed confidence Airbus can apply its work on
other autonomous capabilities to further refine Flexrotor.
Geckle declined to say how much Airbus paid for Aerovel, but
described it as “a fair price” that would immediately strengthen Airbus’
position in the market.
Ali Dian, Aerovel’s CEO, and Tad McGeer, its founder and
chief technology officer, will remain with Airbus, as will the rest of
Aerovel’s more than 30 employees, Geckle said.