Dzyne Technologies has secured a multi-million-dollar contract from the U.S. Air Force for three of its Ultra Turbo uncrewed aircraft, marking a key step toward making the platform a formal program of record, the Irvine firm announced Thursday.
The award from the Air Force’s Research Laboratory’s Center for Rapid Innovation follows a recent successful first flight of the long-endurance reconnaissance aircraft, which demonstrated operations above 18,000 feet. The system can remain airborne for more than 70 hours and features upgraded satellite communications along with a payload capacity exceeding 450 pounds.
“Ultra delivers more than altitude – it delivers dominance,” Ed Smetak, executive vice president of Airborne Technologies at Dzyne, said in a statement. “With AFRL’s confidence and our production capacity, Ultra is proving that disruptive endurance and mission versatility can be delivered affordably and at scale – redefining how Group-5 systems support both government and commercial customers.”
