Elbit Systems Ltd.’s FUSE will supply its THOR Group 2 uncrewed aircraft system to the U.S. Army through a partnership with Mistral Inc., the companies said.
The supply will be carried out under a U.S. cooperation framework between the companies and follows a contract awarded to Mistral by the Army Contracting Command for the procurement of THOR systems and mission payloads. The systems are intended to support the Army’s company-level small uncrewed aircraft needs.
Under the contract, the companies will provide FUSE’s THOR Group 2 UAS, a backpack-portable, rapidly deployable and fully autonomous multirotor vertical takeoff and landing mini-drone designed for a range of company-level tactical missions.
Avandra LLC, Elbit Systems’ U.S.-based subsidiary, will work closely with FUSE to provide local training as well as field and technical support.
The THOR system is designed to give small tactical units an organic aerial capability for missions including reconnaissance, surveillance, target acquisition and identification, communications relay, resupply and limited cargo delivery. The companies said the system can also support configurable effects options as mission requirements evolve.
Designed for fast tactical deployment, THOR reduces the operator’s workload through autonomous takeoff and landing, autonomous mission execution and multiplatform operation, the companies said. Its modular payload integration allows units to change roles quickly in the field.
The system has a mature and configurable architecture intended to support the integration of a variety of mission payloads, they said.
“Elbit Systems is proud to support this effort alongside Mistral and FUSE,” said Yoav Poizner, vice president of marketing at Elbit Systems C4I & Cyber. “The U.S. Army’s decision to select THOR as its company-level multi-rotor system validates the technological and operational advantages offered by our solutions. Together, we look forward to helping deliver a dependable system that can be configured for evolving mission needs and scaled for operational demand.”
Yoav Banai, senior vice president for business development at Mistral, said the award was aimed at quickly getting a proven capability into soldiers’ hands.
“This award is about getting a proven, company-relevant capability into soldiers’ hands with speed, and doing it with a system designed for real operational conditions,” Banai said. “By pairing Mistral’s U.S.-based integration and delivery focus with FUSE’s THOR platform, we’re positioned to provide a rapidly deployable Group 2 VTOL UAS that supports multi-mission teams and adapts quickly as the operational picture changes.”