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Explore UST’s round-up of our five most read articles in the industry this week, including new technologies, innovations, and industry successes.
1. Parallel Flight Secures ONR Contract to Develop Maritime-Capable Firefly Heavy-Lift UAS
Parallel Flight Technologies (PFT), a leader in heavy-lift, hybrid-powered unmanned aerial systems (UAS), has been awarded a $3.74 million Sequential Phase II SBIR contract to modify its flagship aircraft, Firefly, for maritime operations.
The contract, funded by the Office of Naval Research (ONR), marks a significant milestone in expanding the UAS’s mission versatility for deployment in harsh marine environments to support maritime logistics, littoral surveillance, and ONR RDT&E activities.
2. GA-ASI Validates Large UAS as Motherships with Switchblade 600 Test
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), in collaboration with AeroVironment (AV), has launched a Switchblade 600 (SB600) loitering munition (LM) from a Block 5 MQ-9A unmanned aircraft system (UAS), validating the role of large UAS as motherships.
After successfully integrating the SB600 with the MQ-9A, the team released two LMs: one with an inert warhead and the other with a high-explosive round. After launch, the team transferred control of the Switchblade from a user in the MQ-9A’s ground control station to a user on the ground closer to the operational area.
3. SEA.AI Visual Intelligence & Sensor Fusion for Safer Uncrewed Operations
In the rapidly evolving domain of maritime autonomy, SEA.AI stands out as a key enabler of safe and intelligent uncrewed operations at sea.
As the USV market continues its exponential growth driven by defense, offshore energy, environmental monitoring, and commercial applications, the demand for robust situational awareness systems has never been higher. SEA.AI answers the call with a solution combining AI-powered computer vision, multi-sensor fusion, and advanced maritime analytics.
4. Rotron Aerospace Unveils Defendor UCAV at DSEI 2025
Rotron Aerospace has launched its latest uncrewed platform, the Defendor, an advanced Uncrewed Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV) designed to deliver sovereign capability in the rapidly evolving field of One-Way Effectors (OWE), at DSEI 2025.
The system, developed around Rotron’s R350-FDS (Fan Drive System), is optimized for extended range and cost-efficient mass manufacture. According to the company, the propulsion innovation enables Defendor to achieve up to four times the operational endurance of conventional turbojet architectures while maintaining the agility and high subsonic speeds required for tactical strike operations.
5. Reventec Adds DroneCAN Connectivity to Liquid Level Sensor Range
Reventec Limited, a designer and manufacturer of liquid level, position and flow sensors, for use in extreme environments, has introduced a DroneCAN protocol option for its capacitive liquid level sensor range.
DroneCAN is the primary CAN communication protocol used by the most widely adopted UAV flight control software, including ArduPilot and PX4. With DroneCAN becoming an increasingly common requirement for commercial unmanned systems, Reventec is the first capacitive liquid level sensor manufacturer to offer native DroneCAN support on new orders.
