What's next for the Pentagon after the Replicator programme?
Although the Replicator initiative has made several accomplishments, there are still multiple gaps to plug across the US Department of Defense (DoD) and its services.
Safran Helicopter Engines and Urban Aeronautics have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to study market opportunities and address power system solutions to support the develop of a new platform family of internal rotor aircraft, it was announced on 21 September.
Urban Aeronautics' Cormorant (formerly AirMule) UAV demonstrator is currently powered by a Turbomeca Arriel 1D engine driving two ducted fans. The companies will discuss new developments involving more powerful engines for the system.
Under the MoU, Safran and Urban Aeronautics will conduct pre-series and production phases of new full-scale vertical-lift manned or unmanned vehicles, with a focus on systems for use in urban environments in the transport, medevac and air-taxi roles.
Rafi Yoeli, founder and chief executive officer of Urban Aeronautics, said: ‘Partnering with a major aerospace company like Safran will bring valuable expertise and help Urban Aeronautics move from the prototype to the production phase.’
Although the Replicator initiative has made several accomplishments, there are still multiple gaps to plug across the US Department of Defense (DoD) and its services.
Cummings Aerospace presented its turbojet-powered Hellhound loitering munition at SOF Week 2025, offering a man-portable solution aligned with the US Army’s LASSO requirements.
PDW has revealed its Attritable Multirotor First Person View drone at SOF Week 2025, offering special operations forces a low-cost, rapidly deployable platform for strike and ISR missions, inspired by battlefield lessons from Ukraine.
Teledyne FLIR is highlighting the emerging requirements for 'recoverable and re-usable' loitering munitions across the contemporary operating environment during this week’s SOF Week conference in Tampa, Florida.
High-performance maritime industry player Kraken Technology Group, based in the UK, has used the SOF Week conference in Tampa, Florida this week to debut its K3 Scout uncrewed surface vessel (USV) to the North American market.
Red Cat and Palladyne AI recently conducted a cross-platform collaborative flight involving three diverse heterogeneous drones.