DARPA to test 5 light VTOL drones that can navigate autonomously
NewsJune 18, 2025
ARLINGTON, Virginia. Five uncrewed aerial system (UAS) designs developed under DARPA’s AdvaNced airCraft Infrastructure-Less Launch And RecoverY (ANCILLARY) program will begin flight testing this month to evaluate vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) performance and mission versatility, DARPA announced in a statement.
The demonstration, called the Early VTOL Aircraft Demonstration (EVADE), focuses on UAS platforms under 330 pounds capable of operating without dedicated infrastructure, the statement reads. All five designs will use Sikorsky MATRIX flight autonomy software from the agency’s Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automation System (ALIAS) program to manage flight control and navigation with minimal operator input, DARPA says.
The platforms will also integrate the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division’s Battle Management System software for payload management and data sharing with troops in the field, the statement adds. Each aircraft is expected to achieve a minimum endurance of 12 hours at 100 nautical miles while carrying a 60-pound payload.
Five contractors — AeroVironment, Griffon Aerospace, Karem Aircraft, Method Aeronautics, and Sikorsky — are participating in the testing, which aims to support a wide range of missions including logistics, ISR, communications relay, weapons delivery, and synthetic aperture radar, DARPA says.
