Piasecki Earns $37M Air Force Contract to Develop ARES VTOL

The manufacturer is developing what it claims will be the first zero-emissions, hydrogen-powered compound helicopter on the market.

Jack Daleo

Tuesday, November 21, 2023 at 03:09 PM ET

Verified

Piasecki’s ARES, a vertical takeoff and landing uncrewed aerial system, is designed for a range of military use cases. [Courtesy: Piasecki Aircraft]

Key Takeaways:

Piasecki Aircraft secured a multiyear, $37 million contract with AFWERX to test and demonstrate its Aerial Reconfigurable Embedded System (ARES), a UAS project previously canceled by DARPA.
The contract also involves demonstrating hydrogen fuel cell propulsion technology for vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) applications, developed in collaboration with ZeroAvia.
The ARES system is designed to be a versatile "Swiss Army knife" for the military, capable of crewed or uncrewed flight, offering command, control, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and logistics support with reconfigurable payload modules.
Piasecki aims for its PA-890 eVTOL to be the first zero-emission, hydrogen-powered compound helicopter on the market, targeting both military and commercial applications with lower operating costs and quieter flight.

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A few years ago, uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) developer Piasecki Aircraft struck out when its contract with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) was canceled due to delays and high costs. On Tuesday, though, the company had a reversal of fortune.

Piasecki announced it was awarded a multiyear, $37 million contract with AFWERX, the innovation arm of the U.S. Air Force, through the division’s Strategic Funding Increase (STRATFI) program. The agreement will allow the Pennsylvania-based firm to test and demonstrate its Aerial Reconfigurable Embedded System (ARES)—the same UAS project that was snubbed by DARPA.