BlueBird Aero Systems, partially owned (50% of shares) by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), has completed the delivery of 100 WanderB-VTOL UAVs to a European customer. The Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) UAVs are part of a transaction involving over 150 WanderB-VTOL and ThunderB-VTOL UAVs worth tens of millions of dollars (USD). This is the world’s largest number of VTOL UAVs delivered to any customer at one time, and was completed within the agreed timetable despite COVID-19 conditions.
The transaction reflects a globally emerging trend of VTOL UAVs, which provide important benefits for land and maritime applications as they combine the advantages of a fixed wing UAV (long range, long endurance, high speed, wind independency, large area coverage, etc.) with the advantages of a multi-copter (ability to take off and land in confined areas, accurate, safe and damage-free landing, etc.). IAI’s 50% acquisition of BlueBird Aero Systems, which was recently approved by Israel’s government, is tapping into the potential of this emerging trend. Over the past few years, BlueBird developed several advanced VTOL platforms. The asset and capability combination of IAI and BlueBird is expected to yield additional breakthrough operational solutions on the market.
