DropShip UAV offers autonomous, long-range cargo capabilities for defence forces

A rendering of Pyka DropShip UAVs conducting an airdrop mission. (Pyka)

Pyka, a California-based autonomous aircraft company, is bringing its technology to the defence sector through its new DropShip unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).

DropShip offers modular payload configurations, with a focus on precision airdrop. It has a ferry range of more than 3,500 miles, a payload capacity of up to 550 lb, and a “precision airdrop system that can deliver supplies within 150 ft of a target”, according to a company statement on 13 October.

The aircraft can support theatre-scale operations as well as tactical resupply and fly for up to 45 minutes in an all-electric, low-signature mode for covert missions, the statement said. The system is designed for rapid deployment, going from a standard 20 ft container to flight-ready in less than an hour, and can be operated by a single soldier, the statement said.

Origins

Pyka was created about eight years ago with a focus on automating and electrifying flight, Michael Norcia, CEO and chief technology officer of Pyka, told Janes on 6 October. The company initially focused on the Pelican 2, a Group 4-sized UAV designed for autonomous crop-spraying. Group 4 UAVs weigh more than 1,300 lb, he noted. This was developed into a cargo variant, several of which were delivered to the US Air Force and Army for testing.

Pyka identified two gaps in the market that DropShip could fill, he said. “The first one is simply the ability to move goods without putting a human life at risk … and then the second gap is more around the Group 4 UAS [unmanned aircraft system] in general,” which tend to be expensive but relatively easy to shoot down, Norcia said.