has announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Airbus DS Airborne Solutions GmbH (Airbus), MEL Aviation Ltd and Yates Electrospace Corporation (dba Silent Arrow) to manufacture, distribute and support the Silent Arrow GD-2000 heavy cargo delivery UAS platform for European market segments to include:
- Public Sector, including humanitarian aid organizations
- Institutional Sector
- Military Sector, including the European Defence Agency
The agreement sets forth a three-way collaboration in the field of autonomous cargo delivery by bringing together the Silent Arrow airborne cargo delivery capability, MEL Aviation’s expertise in aerospace manufacturing and Airbus’ experience in unmanned aerial services to jointly serve the needs of European customers.
After deployment, the 4 wings of the Silent Arrow GD-2000 spring open and it autonomously navigates to a precision landing up to 40 miles away
To facilitate the collaboration, Silent Arrow recently granted an exclusive license to MEL Aviation to manufacture the Silent Arrow GD-2000 and its spare parts for UK and EU markets in accordance with ISO AS9100 quality standards.
Airbus will then provide sales, marketing and after-sales support by leading the operational service model for Silent Arrow, to include:
- Adaptation of the Silent Arrow GD-2000 to meet national customer requirements
- Integrated Logistics Support
- Flight Mission Planning
- Refurbishment of Silent Arrows after deployment
“We are thrilled to take our collaboration with MEL Aviation to the next level with Airbus joining the team to build and lead the service business for Silent Arrow across Europe,” said Chip Yates, Silent Arrow’s Founder and CEO. “The Airbus A400M is the perfect platform for deploying numerous Silent Arrows in tactical resupply, electronic warfare or humanitarian and disaster relief operations and we look forward to achieving A400M certification as part of this exciting program.”
The Silent Arrow GD-2000 is the world’s first heavy payload, autonomous and attritable cargo delivery aircraft designed to carry 1,500 lbs. of cargo over 40 miles when deployed from cargo aircraft such as the Lockheed Martin C-130, Boeing C-17 and Airbus A400M.
Top Photo: Airbus will deploy and certify the Silent Arrow GD-2000 for airdrop operations from the A400M such as this aircraft owned by the German Air Force
Source: Press Release