Indonesian Navy tests China-made HC-545 VTOL UAV

A file image of the HC-545 VTOL fixed-wing UAV from Chinese company Honeycomb Aerospace. The Indonesian Navy carried out a land-based evaluation of the system in August 2026. (Honeycomb Aerospace)

The Indonesian Navy has carried out trials of the Chinese-made HC-545 vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).

Frengky Mahulette, a member of Commission I of the Indonesian House of Representatives, which oversees defence, foreign affairs and intelligence, confirmed the trials in a recent social media post.

According to Mahulette, the trials were conducted at the Indonesian Navy air base in Pasuruan and were deemed successful.

The chief of the Indonesian Navy's Research and Development Service, Rear Admiral Mulyatna, attended the trials.

Mahulette did not disclose details of the evaluation programme or indicate whether a procurement contract is under consideration.

The HC-545 is manufactured by Beijing-based Honeycomb Aerospace. The company describes the aircraft as a medium-sized VTOL fixed-wing UAV featuring high-wing compound aerodynamic configuration.

Constructed primarily from carbon-fibre composite materials, the UAV features modular wings, tail booms and VTOL assemblies to facilitate transportation and rapid field deployment.

Honeycomb states that the platform can remain airborne for up to eight hours when carrying payloads of up to 50 kg.

The UAV is offered with encrypted data links supporting operational ranges of 50 km, 100 km or 150 km, depending on configuration.

According to the company, the aircraft has a petrol-powered propulsion system and can be configured for operations in both lowland and high-altitude environments.

A notable feature of the HC-545 is its modular payload architecture, which allows the aircraft to be configured for a range of intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR), communications and mapping missions.