Drone developer DZYNE Technologies has announced the construction of a facility in California to support future autonomous projects under the US Department of Defense and international customers.
The site will cover 125,000 square feet (11,600 square meters) in Irvine and will contain “space and resources” to further develop related “cutting-edge” solutions.
DZYNE is expected to host a grand opening ceremony for the facility and its associated services and manufacturing technologies next year.
“We are committed to providing the resources necessary to fuel DZYNE’s growth and to deliver the cutting-edge technologies demanded by the [Department of Defense],” DZYNE Chairman Ben Slater stated.
“DZYNE has established itself as an agile, rapid-response creator of innovative autonomous technologies that break the cost dynamic established by the old guard. Like DZYNE itself, this facility will be unique in the industry.”
Supporting Replicator Program
Among DZYNE’s recent partnerships with the US military is the Replicator program to produce air and ground-deployable Group 1 to 3 unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for various missions.
Drones under these categories weigh between 20 and 1,320 pounds (9 to 600 kilograms) and can reach altitudes between 1,200 and 18,000 feet (365 to 5,500 meters).
“The development of the new facility is a testament to DZYNE’s strong partnership and commitment to the Department of Defense,” DZYNE Co-Founder and President Matt McCue said.
“DZYNE has worked closely with the [Department of Defense] since our inception in 2012 to develop an array of long endurance, low-cost, loitering, and innovative UAS platforms.”
“With the recently announced Replicator Initiative, we feel we are now perfectly suited to meet the Department’s increased demand for autonomous defense capabilities. DZYNE’s UAS are designed to meet the evolving needs of our warfighters and are expected to play a critical role in future operations for the US and its allies.”
DZYNE’s flagship products include the LEAP and ULTRA Long Endurance Aircraft (LEA), which provide more than 40 and 80 flight hours, respectively. Combined, the LEA systems have completed 50,000 operational flight hours globally.