XTEND signs $20 million UAV deal with Israel
The XTEND Operating System will allow drones to be deployed remotely by military units in various scenarios. (Photo: XTEND)
The Israeli manufacturer will supply a multi-drone operating system for the country's Ministry of Defense.
UAV manufacturer XTEND has received a $20 million contract from the Israeli MoD to develop and supply a multi-drone operating system.
The project is a joint effort between XTEND and the Directorate of Defense Research & Development (MAFAT) and is based on performance and deliverable milestones.
The work will see the XTEND Operating System (XOS), a human-guided autonomous operating system, enable the remote, safe and intuitive operation of dozens of human-guided, semi-autonomous UAVs using VR and AI technologies.
XTEND said XOS will allow its drones to be deployed remotely by military units in various scenarios precisely and intuitively in an immersive way.
‘Working with XTEND over the last three years, we have already been able to field systems that are now in daily use, and we are confident that this new programme will provide a tremendous leap in our operational capabilities,’ an Israeli Defense Force spokesperson said in a statement.
‘One of the greatest challenges for a programme office working with cutting-edge technologies is to find the right industry partners.’
The new agreement with the Israeli MoD is the latest in over 20 major contracts secured by XTEND in the last three years, including an $8.9 million deal with the US DoD awarded last October for Xtender Generation 2 indoor/outdoor multi-payload UAVs.
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