Royal Australian Navy orders Transwing unmanned aerial vehicles
PteroDynamics Inc will begin deliveries of its P4 Transwing UAV to the Royal Australian Navy in 2026. (PteroDynamics Inc)
Australia has ordered Transwing P4 vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from US-based PteroDynamics Inc to enhance the Royal Australian Navy's (RAN's) autonomous distributed maritime logistics capabilities.
The contract covers the delivery of an unspecified number of Transwing P4 UAVs to the RAN in 2026, and includes training and ongoing technical support, PteroDynamics Inc said on 13 May. The RAN also has the option of purchasing larger Transwing P5 UAVs for delivery starting in 2027, the company added.
The Australian Department of Defence (DoD) has not yet commented on the acquisition. Janes has contacted PteroDynamics for additional information.
The contract announcement – marking the platform's first export – comes a year after PteroDynamics and Babcock Australasia demonstrated the UAV's operational capabilities to the Australian Defence Force (ADF) in April 2025. According to PteroDynamics, the over-water and over-land trials examined the platform's endurance, speed, rate of climb, and launch capability, transit, and recover payloads within confined areas.
The Transwing P4 is an electrically powered UAV that features movable wings that rotate dihedrally for VTOL and cruise modes. In its expanded form, the UAV has a wingspan of 4.2 m. According to PteroDynamics, the UAV requires no launch and recovery infrastructure. The Transwing P4 has a maximum take-off weight (MToW) of 89 pounds (41 kg) and a maximum payload of 15 pounds (6.8 kg) and is capable of achieving a dash speed of 100 kts, the company added.
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