Yates Electrospace Corporation (YEC) unveiled its Silent Arrow GD-2000 cargo delivery unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) on the first day of the 2019 Defence and Security Equipment International exhibition (DSEI 2019), being held in London on 10–13 September 2019. The company said in a press release published on the occasion, “Silent Arrow is the world’s first production-ready, 1-ton, autonomous cargo aircraft, which delivers up to 1,631 lb (740 kg) of supplies at less than half the cost of JPADS [Joint Precision Airdrop System] with more than double the glide ratio, dramatically improved landing accuracy, zero vertical impact force and with far greater stealth.”
Yates Electrospace Corporation unveiled its Silent Arrow cargo delivery UAV at DSEI 2019. (IHS Markit/Nicholas Fiorenza)
YEC CEO Chip Yates told Jane’s on 12 September that the UAV can be launched off the rear ramp of an aircraft at an altitude of 305–7,620 m, after which it deploys its wings and glides up to 64 km to deliver its cargo. The UAV’s flight path is programmed through its USB port before it is launched. The commercial-off-the-shelf inertial guidance system is mounted in the nose of the UAV.
Yates said the UAV will be offered in four versions in addition to the GD-2000 displayed at DSEI. These include the smaller GD-800, which is able to carry a 500 kg cargo, the GD-2000 WB (wide body), the GR-2000 for humanitarian operations, and the ER-2000 with a 180hp electric powered propeller. The GD-800 can be launched out the side door of an aircraft. The ER-2000 will be able to take off from and land on the ground, and the GR-2000 can be recovered and therefore has more solid fibreglass wings instead of the hot-wired foam wings of the other three versions, which are disposable.
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