Dronamics unveils mock-up of Black Swan ISR UAV

Four months following the announcement of a joint project to offer a European ISTAR product, a Black Swan modified to carry Hensoldt equipment was displayed at HEMUS 2026. (Janes/Christopher Petrov)

Dronamics of Bulgaria revealed a mock-up of its Black Swan unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) equipped with two Hensoldt Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) systems at the HEMUS exhibition held in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, from 3 to 6 June 2026.

Janes reported in February 2026 that Hensoldt and Dronamics had signed an agreement on integrating an airborne early warning (AEW) system onto the Black Swan UAV.

The Black Swan, developed primarily as an unmanned cargo platform for the civilian aviation transport sector, is a single piston-engine fixed-wing UAV with a wingspan of 16 m and a maximum range of 2,500 km. It has a payload capacity of 350 kg. The mock-up shown at HEMUS was presented with two systems from Hensoldt: the PrecISR 1400 X-band Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) airborne surveillance radar; and the ARGOS 15 electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) gimballed turret.

The partnership between both companies aims to provide a wholly European ISTAR UAV with long loitering capabilities, according to a representative from Dronamics. An emphasis on the platform being ITAR-free was also present in marketing material for the UAV. A Dronamics representative also claimed that the UAV can function as a small-sized Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) platform when equipped with the PrecISR 1400 suite.

For more, please see: Hensoldt and Dronamics to integrate AEW system with Black Swan long-range cargo UAS