A Vector ISR UAV made by Quantum Systems. (Quantum Systems)
Janes has learnt that a contract signed on 14 June for German unmanned aircraft system (UAS) maker Quantum Systems to supply the Romanian Armed Forces will involve 22 Vector unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with complete control systems.
Romania's Ministry of National Defence (Ministerul Apărării Naţionale: MApN) told Janes on 27 June that the Vectors are due to enter into service with the Romanian naval and land forces in June 2025.
The contract, worth approximately EUR18.4 million (USD 19.7 million), will span a period of 36 months. Romanian state defence company Romtehnica S A was the purchasing authority with the MApN calling for a “Mini UAS system – fixed wing”.
Vector is an electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) system, designed for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions. Equipped with the rainproof Raptor electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) combi-sensor from NextVision, Vector can conduct operations day or night, while providing ranging from near-infrared (NIR) to long-wave infrared (LWIR) imaging.
With a maximum take-off weight of 8.5 kg, Vector can be carried in a backpack and assembled and launched vertically by a single operator, before its tiltrotor system enables it to transition to forward flight. The company says the UAS is also equipped with its Skynode flight control computer providing AI capabilities, and has a flight duration of up to three hours.
On 31 May 2023 Quantum Systems announced an order of 300 Vector UASs from Ukraine's Ministry of Defence. This followed two earlier Ukrainian orders, for 33 Vector systems in August 2022, and 105 in January 2023. The company said Vector UASs have been in use in Ukraine since May 2022.
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