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American aerospace company PteroDynamics has secured a contract to supply Transwing VTOL unmanned aircraft systems for the Royal Australian Navy’s autonomous maritime distributed logistics capabilities.
Under the contract, PteroDynamics will deliver P4 Transwing UAS aircraft, plus training and support, with the option for RAN to purchase larger P5 Transwing UAS systems for delivery starting in 2027.
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The competitive contract award comes on the heels of the successful April 2025 demonstration for Australian Defence Force and RAN personnel of the P4 Transwing’s operational capabilities over land and water, examining endurance, speed, rate of climb, and ability to launch, transit, and recover payloads within confined areas.
The contract extends PteroDynamics’ strategic relationship with RAN and is the company’s first international defence sale of Transwing VTOL UAS aircraft.
“With the growing strategic importance of the Indo-Pacific region and the trilateral AUKUS security partnership, Australia and the Royal Australian Navy have established a forward-looking vision for the role of autonomous uncrewed platforms for logistics missions in maritime environments,” according to PteroDynamics chief executive officer Matthew Graczyk.
“PteroDynamics looks forward to continuing our close collaboration with RAN and ensuring our customers take full advantage of the Transwing’s unique combination of VTOL and fixed-wing performance capabilities for a range of missions.
“We’re also grateful for the tremendous in-country support we received from the American Chamber of Commerce and the US Commercial Service.”
Transwing is able to fold its wings to transition seamlessly between configurations optimized for vertical and winged horizontal flight.
It delivers VTOL stability and gust tolerance, requires no launch and recovery infrastructure.
“The Royal Australian Navy is pleased to acknowledge the significant progress made through our joint uncrewed aerial vehicle project with PteroDynamics,” according to Royal Australian Navy Director General Logistics, Commodore Catherine Rhodes.
“This collaboration reflects the strong trust, technical expertise, and shared commitment that underpin our long-standing defence cooperation.
“By bringing together our collective strengths in advanced aerospace design, autonomous systems, and rigorous operational testing, we are advancing next-generation uncrewed capabilities that directly support the Integrated Force.”
The contract calls for the delivery of Transwing P4 aircraft to RAN in the spring of 2026 and includes training and ongoing technical support.
The P4 Transwing has a maximum take-off weight of 41kg with a maximum payload of 6.8kg.
RAN has the option to purchase larger autonomous P5 Transwing VTOL UAS systems for future delivery. The P5 Transwing will have a maximum take-off weight of 145kg and a range of over 400 nautical miles (740 km), carrying 23kg of payload at 70 knots (36 m/s).
“This contract reflects the strength of US-Australia defence and innovation collaboration and the growing momentum behind trusted partners working together in the Indo‑Pacific,” according to American Chamber of Commerce in Australia chief executive officer April Palmerlee.
“AmCham is proud to have supported PteroDynamics’ engagement in Australia and to see advanced US autonomous technologies contributing to Australia’s sovereign defence capability and the Royal Australian Navy’s future-focused logistics vision.”
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