Last Updated on: 21st November 2023, 08:32 pm
ISS Aerospace and Marshall Futureworx have been awarded a £500,000 grant by the Defence Technology Exploitation Programme (DTEP) to develop a VTOL Heavy-Lift Unmanned Aircraft System (HLUAS).
The project, delivered through the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) and InnovateUK, is sponsored by the MOD’s Directorate of Industrial Strategy and Exports (DISE).
The HLUAS will be powered by an innovative hybrid-electric gas turbine powerplant providing extended range, endurance and a payload significantly greater than current rechargeable Lithium Polymer batteries, and without the need for complex electrical infrastructure for re-charging batteries in the field or at sea.
The aircraft will be capable of carrying a payload of up to 250kg and have a potential range approaching 100km. It will meet the demanding requirements of both defence & security clients by transporting large payloads to and from small naval platforms and ground pads without the need for a runway.
The HLUAS will be designed to be certified to both Civil and Military Aviation Airworthiness requirements using Marshall’s UK CAA and UK MAA Design, Manufacturing and Flight Test Organisation approvals.
Ryan Kempley, CEO of ISS Aerospace, said: “We are excited to have been selected for funding in DTEP Cycle 1. Our Heavy Lift UAS will be capable of carrying a diverse range of payloads and will therefore be able to fulfil numerous potential roles for both military, commercial and off-shore support operators.”
Kieren Paterson, Managing Director of Marshall Futureworx, added: “We are delighted to support ISS Aerospace in the development of the Heavy Lift UAS, this builds on our established relationship building highly autonomous drones for the offshore sector and other industries.”
ISS Aerospace and Marshall Futureworx have received a £500,000 grant to develop a VTOL Heavy-Lift Unmanned Aircraft System (HLUAS). The project, funded by the Defence Technology Exploitation Programme (DTEP) and sponsored by the MOD’s Directorate of Industrial Strategy and Exports (DISE), will see the development of an aircraft capable of carrying a payload of up to 250kg and have a potential range approaching 100km.
Using an innovative hybrid-electric gas turbine powerplant, the solution will deliver extended range, endurance and a payload significantly greater than current rechargeable Lithium Polymer batteries, and without the need for complex electrical infrastructure for re-charging batteries in the field or at sea.
The HLUAS will provide a payload of up to 250kg and have a potential range approaching 100km, meeting the demanding requirements of both defence & security clients by transporting large payloads to and from small naval platforms and ground pads without the need for a runway. It will be designed to be certified to both Civil and Military Aviation Airworthiness requirements using Marshall’s UK CAA and UK MAA Design, Manufacturing and Flight Test Organisation approvals.
ISS Aerospace CEO, Ryan Kempley said: “We are excited to have been selected for funding in DTEP Cycle 1. Our Heavy Lift UAS will be capable of carrying a diverse range of payloads and will therefore be able to fulfil numerous potential roles for both military, commercial and off-shore support operators. We have already collaborated successfully with Marshall Futureworx on Project Lilypad and look forward to building on this relationship.”
Marshall Futureworx Managing Director, Kieren Paterson, added: “We are delighted to support ISS Aerospace in the development of the Heavy Lift UAS, this builds on our established relationship building highly autonomous drones for the offshore sector and other industries. The support we have committed to provide leverages our expertise in civil and military platform certification, lightweight composite aerostructures and integrated programme management. The combined strengths of ISS Aerospace, Marshall Futureworx and the broader Marshall Group, offers the potential to develop a world-class Heavy Lift UAS solution, capable of meeting the needs of both the military and commercial markets both domestically and abroad.”
ISS Aerospace and Marshall Futureworx have been awarded a £500,000 grant by the Defence Technology Exploitation Programme (DTEP) to develop a VTOL Heavy-Lift Unmanned Aircraft System (HLUAS). The project, delivered through the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) and InnovateUK, is sponsored by the MOD’s Directorate of Industrial Strategy and Exports (DISE).
The HLUAS will be powered by an innovative hybrid-electric gas turbine powerplant providing extended range, endurance and a payload significantly greater than current rechargeable Lithium Polymer batteries, and without the need for complex electrical infrastructure for re-charging batteries in the field
