Finland’s Patria Group has signed a cooperation agreement with Sweden’s ACC Innovation to produce military versions of a wide range of unmanned aerial systems for a NATO member state. The partnership’s initial phase will focus on transforming ACC Innovation’s Thunder Wasp GT quadcopter drone for defense applications.
The Thunder Wasp GT UAS is designed for medium to heavy lifting. The drone features a maximum payload capacity of 400 kilograms, a turboshaft engine, and a cruising speed of 70 to 90 kilometers per hour.
Mikko Leino, executive vice president of operations at Patria, said his team’s research and development experience and expertise will significantly contribute to the militarization of ACC’s unmanned systems. “We see that the militarization of such a completely new type of capability has several potential applications in today’s constantly changing operational environment,” he added.
Co-owned by the Finnish government and Norway’s Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, Patria delivers through-life capability, protected mobility and defense systems, and battlefield and critical systems products. Meanwhile, ACC Innovation has been focused on producing quadcopter drones, including those capable of carrying over 1,000 kilograms of payload. Apart from the Thunder Wasp GT, its drone portfolio includes the Dragonfly 2S, Dragonfly 4S, and the Thunder Wasp 2XGT.
“Our expertise in high-performance quadcopter systems, combined with Patria’s vast experience in defense innovation, will allow us to explore new frontiers in autonomous and heavy-lift aerial technologies,” said Max Drougge, chief technology officer at ACC Innovation.