Glider drone maker Silent Arrow has nabbed several big contracts for its workhorse cargo aircraft, and is already looking to expand to a motor-driven model reach into war zones such as Ukraine.
This year’s plans also include a campaign to raise up to $5 million with investments from the public to expand the company and develop the new model, according to founder and CEO Chip Yates.
“The electric development’s a little heavier lift than the gliders,” Yates told the Business Journal on July 11. “You want to have a little bit of bankroll there.”
Silent Arrow in June moved to a new, larger location in Santa Ana from its previous site on Barranca Parkway in Irvine.
Contract Wins
Silent Arrow so far has been making three models of its cargo-carrying glider drones and has nabbed several key contracts.
The company said in February its flagship GD-2000 platform was selected for a U.S. Department of Defense, Warfighter Lab Incentive Fund contract worth $2.2 million.
In December, Silent Arrow said it had received a $750,000 U.S. Air Force contract to develop cargo delivery drones for military and humanitarian purposes.
Among other milestones, Silent Arrow said the air force of a U.S.-allied government in the Middle East have concluded the first overseas deployments of the Silent Arrow GD-2000 cargo delivery drone under a $1.5 million operational evaluation contract.
Another big contract is in Europe but details are confidential.
Cargo Carriers
Silent Arrow currently makes the automatically guided GD-2000, short for “Glider, Disposable, 2,000 Pounds,” that is launched from C-130 or C-17 cargo transport planes and can deliver up to 1,500 pounds of cargo in specific locations.
The gliders can be used to deliver practically anything from batteries to water, food and vaccines, and are meant to replace old-fashioned parachute drops, Yates said.
“It’s a one-time use glider,” says Yates, the head of Yates Electrospace Corp., which was founded in 2012 and does business as Silent Arrow.
Reaching Ukraine?
There is some chance the current line of Silent Arrow glider drones will be deployed into western Ukraine.
“The question is what cargo aircraft flown by whom will be used to deploy Silent Arrow along the borders,” according to Yates. “We are having those conversations now and the U.S. Marines asked us to provide a quote on delivering 500 of our Silent Arrow GD-2000 to the theater of operations, which we have done.”
Silent Arrow’s current line of glider drones have a range of about 40 miles.
“Add an electric propulsion capability and have it reach deeper into Ukraine,” said Yates, adding that the proposed ER2500 would carry more than 1,500 pounds of cargo.
The electric model would cost about $300,000 apiece and would have a range of 250 miles.
It would be reusable and could be hauled back to base by truck.
Yates says test flights for the ER2500 may come as early as the end of next year. Along with Ukraine, there will be plenty of other conflict areas and disaster areas that could benefit from a longer range glider, he says.
Staffing Up
Adding staff and capacity for expansion is a key point now.
“We’re raising that money so that we can develop a powered version,” said Yates, adding the company would be allowed to seek investments from the public.
He says the company has plans to grow.
“We’re behind the big guys, the Anduril’s and stuff, but we’re in the conversation.”
Rapidly growing Anduril Industries, founded by OC entrepreneur Palmer Luckey, makes the military-grade Ghost drone among other defense and border protection products; for more see the front page.
