Archytas

The Archytas is a Greek fixed-wing hybrid VTOL unmanned aerial vehicle developed for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions. It was produced through a partnership between Ucandrone PC, EFA Group/EFA Ventures, Hellenic Aerospace Industry (HAI/EAB), Hellenic Navy research teams, and the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, University of Thessaly and Democritus University of Thrace. It was the first domestically developed Greek UAV combining vertical take-off with fixed-wing flight, and has operated from Hellenic Navy frigates during Operation ASPIDES.

Development

Work between Ucandrone and the Hellenic Navy on the concept began around 2019. The prototype was publicly unveiled during the joint exercise "Parmenion-21" on Chios between 24 September and 1 October 2021. Testing continued through 2022–2023, and the type was displayed at the DEFEA 2023 exhibition in Athens under the Hellenic Aerospace Industry banner. The first flight of the finalized configuration took place in April 2024, after an initial March 2024 target slipped. Funding came from the Greek Ministry of Finance/Defence budget, with approximately EUR 3,000,000 added to cover development delays. The Hellenic Air Force expressed interest in up to 25 units, while the Hellenic Navy sought around EUR 1.5 million to procure a number of aircraft. No per-unit price had been published as of 2026.

Design

The airframe uses a blended-wing configuration with high-swept wings, an inverted-V tail and a front vertical fin. Horizontal flight is powered by a single gasoline piston engine of about 30 hp driving a two-blade pusher propeller at the rear. Vertical take-off and landing uses multiple battery-powered electric rotors — four in the 2021 configuration, mounted on the longitudinal booms linking the wings to the tail — some of which fold or retract in cruise to reduce drag. Landing gear consists of four low-drag struts. Wingspan is 6.4 m and length approximately 3.5 m, with a maximum take-off weight of about 180–200 kg and a payload of roughly 14 kg, rising to 20–25 kg in some configurations. Maximum speed is 158 km/h, cruise speed 120 km/h and stall speed 70–74 km/h. Service ceiling is 27,000 ft (8,229 m), with typical tactical operations around 2,000 m; rate of climb is about 381 m/min. Endurance is approximately 4 hours and operational range up to about 200 km. The sensor fit is an electro-optical/infrared surveillance payload.

Armament

The baseline Archytas has no weapon-carrying capability and is a pure ISR platform. The armed Archytas II derivative is credited with a payload of around 30 kg, including up to 25 kg of guided munitions such as bombs, mortars and rockets.

Operational History

The Archytas was integrated into the Hellenic Navy and operated from MEKO 200HN-class frigates, including HS Hydra (F452) and HS Psara (F454). From 2024 it provided reconnaissance and surveillance during the EU's Operation ASPIDES in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, supporting the protection of merchant shipping against Houthi drone and missile attacks. Greek naval personnel reportedly preferred it to the Spanish Aertec A900 UAS procured in 2021, based on trials dating to the 2020 Greece–Turkey tension period. North Macedonia and Croatia expressed interest at DEFEA.

Variants

• Archytas: Baseline ISR configuration with EO/IR payload, four VTOL rotors and roughly 4 hours endurance.
• Archytas II (Archytas Mk II): Larger armed derivative with a 6 m wingspan, 4 m length, eight electric VTOL motors, 30 kg payload and reported 9–12 hour endurance, in development and testing as of 2026 with first flight targeted for 2026.