Zala announces development of new small VTOL UAV
Zala Aero Group announced on 21 October that it plans to launch a new micro VTOL UAS by March next year. The company said that the development is based on the success enjoyed by its current micro VTOL UAS ZALA 421-21 launched in November 2010.
Currently the ZALA 421-21 is being used by emergency services and civil agencies, which require a low cost VTOL UAS for a number of tasks. Most common missions include; crowd patrol, aerial photography, fire-fighting, infrastructure monitoring etc.
The new UAS ZALA 421-22 will address some of the specific requirements faced by a number of end users. The most common of these is to have both an IR and day camera onboard. The new UAV’s payload will incorporate both a FLIR IR payload (640x480) and video camera (500 TVL).
Another factor that will be addressed by the new UAC is the transportation aspect of the current system. Even though the ZALA 421-22 will be 20% bigger than the original system it will be more transportable as the platform can be folded to fit into a tubular container with dimensions. This unique feature for a VTOL will make the platform compatible with tube launched fixed wing UAS.
The UAV will be based on an eight rotor construction and weigh 2.0kg with a 0.5kg payload.
More from Uncrewed Vehicles
-
Cummings Aerospace showcases Hellhound loitering munition designed for US Army’s LASSO programme (video)
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.
-
SOF Week 2025: PDW unveils attritable FPV drone for SOF operations at scale
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.
-
SOF Week 2025: Teledyne FLIR white paper provides guidance on reusable loitering munitions
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.
-
SOF Week 2025: Kraken Technology group debuts K3 Scout USV in North America
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.
-
Palladyne AI and Red Cat to demonstrate capabilities for autonomous drone swarms to the US military
Red Cat and Palladyne AI recently conducted a cross-platform collaborative flight involving three diverse heterogeneous drones.
-
Jammer resistant drone designs spark search for countermeasures
The Russia-Ukraine conflict has driven another stage of evolution for drones and the counter measures to defend against them.