American LeVanta Tech, a developer of autonomous sea-air drones, announced the joint development of the Halia amphibious drone with the Ukrainian Defense Industry Joint Stock Company and Ukrainian engineers. The device will be able to remain unobtrusively on the surface of the water for a long time and instantly take flight if necessary.
American LeVanta Tech, a developer of autonomous sea-air drones, announced the joint development of the Halia amphibious drone with the Ukrainian Defense Industry Joint Stock Company and Ukrainian engineers. The device will be able to remain unobtrusively on the surface of the water for a long time and instantly take flight if necessary.
The agreement is reported by «Military». LeVanta Tech confirms that the project is called Halia: it is a «sea-air» platform designed for reconnaissance, surveillance and destruction of targets in coastal waters. The key idea is to combine «low visibility» while on the water with the ability to take off quickly when there is a need to change position or perform tasks in the air. The company’s CEO Kelly Eccles emphasizes in a comment that there are many drones on the market that fly, and many that swim, «but very few that can do both,» so Halia should close this tactical gap.
LeVanta Tech plans joint research and engineering with the involvement of Ukrainian designers: pilot samples will be assembled and tested at testing grounds in Ukraine, after which configurations will be determined for specific scenarios — from covert surveillance to strike missions. According to the plan, the device should operate near the coast, hide in the waves, withstand control in difficult electronic conditions and quickly go into air mode when a «window» for action appears or the need to avoid interception appears.
Separately, the company is talking about the production model: if the tests confirm the TTX, the supply packages may contain both the device itself and ground/ship control and data exchange equipment, and part of the production chain will be placed at Ukrainian facilities. According to Eccles, the choice of Ukraine is not just an emotion, but a pragmatic decision: Ukrainian units have the world’s greatest combat experience with drones and their tactics of use, which speeds up the cycle «from idea to mission.»
This is a Californian company specializing in autonomous hybrid air-sea systems. The flagship direction is Halia for ISR/strike missions in coastal waters; the design combines buoyancy, low visibility and high cruising speed in the air. The company already cooperates with the US Air Force and Navy and performs Pentagon contracts; at the same time, it is expanding its presence in Europe by opening an office in Estonia.
For Ukraine, the future amphibious drone means an additional tool in the «gray zone» between classic naval UAVs and strike aircraft platforms — with flexible transition between environments, which complicates detection and gives more time to complete tasks.
Previously, dev.ua wrote about how the Argo Aurora amphibious all-terrain vehicle was admitted to service in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This is a Canadian multi-purpose vehicle designed for use in extreme conditions.
