UMS Skeldar

UMS Skeldar AG is an aircraft manufacturer based in Sweden, with both headquarters and manufacturing facilities in Linköping. It was formed in 2018 as a joint venture between majority shareholder UMS Aero Group and Saab. Its principle product is the Skeldar range of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) rotorcraft. The company also owns the Hirth company,[1] whose range of light two-stroke engines provide the power units for the rotorcraft.[2]

Formation

Swiss UAV AG was a privately owned company based in Switzerland that designed and manufactured unmanned aerial vehicles (drones).[3]

It entered a partnership with Saab, in May 2009.[4]

In 2013, Swiss UAV was acquired by Unmanned Systems AG and the following year merged into UMS Aero Group alongside Swedish company Unmanned Systems AB.[5]

At the end of 2015 UMS Aero Group and Saab, manufacturers of the Skeldar unmanned vehicle, formed UMS Skeldar, a joint venture in which UMS Aero Group is the majority partner.[6] Besides its Swiss headquarters and manufacturing, it maintains a manufacturing facility in Sweden, as UMS Skeldar Sweden AB.[7]

Aircraft

Earlier types have included:[8]

Current products include two rotorcraft drone systems:

• F-330 Fixed-wing UAS.
• F-720 Fixed-wing UAS.
• R-350 Rotary UAS.

• UMS Skeldar V-200
• UMS Skeldar V-150

Subsidiary companies

UMS Skeldar acquired the long-established Hirth German light piston engine manufacturer in 2018.[9] Hirth provide the heavy-fuel (jet fuel) engines used in the rotorcraft.[10]