The INSIDE TRACK

Arabian Development & Marketing Company Inks Deal with Sabrewing Aircraft to Purchase 53 “Rhaegal-A” VTOL Air Cargo Drones

This marks the third contract with ADMC totaling over €1 billion in orders

Oxnard, CA – In a joint announcement between Arabian Development and Marketing Corporation (ADMC) and Sabrewing Aircraft Company, Inc., the two companies stated that ADMC had ordered 53 of the record-breaking heavy-lift cargo uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV). This event comes on the heels of Sabrewing’s Rhaegal-A “Alpha” aircraft’s first world record-breaking flight.

“We had a phenomenal response to our first flight announcement,” said Ed De Reyes, CEO of Sabrewing. “We are meeting our customers’ requests of carrying large volumes of cargo while lifting heavy payloads of weight.”

This September, Sabrewing announced that it had flown its first flight with a record-breaking 829 pound/374 kg payload – the most for any commercial cargo UAV. According to De Reyes, the Rhaegal-A has continued to fly and lift heavy payloads as part of its final development program.

Polish National Police Add To Its Black Hawk Fleet To Support National Security Efforts

PZL Mielec, a Lockheed Martin company, finalized a contract with the Polish National Police for two S-70i Black Hawk helicopters, which will increase its fleet of Black Hawks to five by the end of 2024. The expanded Sikorsky Black Hawk fleet will fulfill important missions including counter-terrorism activities, search and rescue, and firefighting.

“The Black Hawk’s multi-role mission flexibility is key to meeting the needs of the Polish National Police. We bring a deep understanding of our customers’ missions to deliver the best solution for their needs,” said Janusz Zakrecki, PZL Mielec President and General Director. “This contract is another important milestone, given that this valued customer is growing its fleet of Black Hawks, which demonstrates the police’s trust in our helicopters.”

The contract includes a logistical support package that will cover spare parts, pilot and

ADMC currently has 128 orders for Sabrewing’s Rhaegal-B “Bravo” aircraft, which is capable of lifting 5,400 pounds/2,450 kg vertically and up to 10,000 pounds/4,535 kg conventionally. Both the “Alpha” and “Bravo” models are capable of taking off vertically. They are the only cargo UAV capable of taking off both vertically and conventionally (as a fixed-wing aircraft).

De Reyes continued, “Because we already have the molds, hardware, software, and avionics from our first aircraft, we’ve completed the majority of the development work on the Alpha model aircraft. We were looking for a launch customer to start production. ADMC found customers who were interested in buying and leasing the cargo UAV. We had an overwhelming response to our first flight, and interest skyrocketed from day one of the announcement.”

De Reyes added, “On our very first flight, we carried a payload that beat the highest planned payload capacity of the closest competitor by almost 500 pounds, and with over four times more volume than the closest competitors. Since our first payload was only about one-third of what we maintenance specialist training, and ground support equipment.

“We were very keen on a multi-role helicopter because, in 2016, Polish police were entrusted with tasks in the field of counter-terrorism activities, which is why the purchase of Black Hawks was an absolute necessity,” Police Commander-in-Chief Gen. Insp. Jarosław Szymczyk said during the ceremony. “The (Black Hawks) we use are very reliable. I am convinced that the employees of PZL Mielec put their hearts into them, thanks to which they serve us so well.”

Currently, the Police Aviation Authority operates three S-70i helicopters delivered by PZL Mielec in 2018 and 2019. They are deployed for a range of activities, including search and rescue missions, border can carry, we knew it was going to attract a lot of customers who need to carry a ton or more of cargo in a large cargo bay.”

Ayman Zeibak, General Manager of ADMC, noted, “We are the first launch customer for the Bravo aircraft, ordering 128 of Sabrewing’s Rhaegal-B “Bravo” aircraft valued at over €768 million. We now have a mix of highly versatile aircraft to lease to our African and Middle Eastern customers.”

Zeibak noted, “The Sabrewing Alpha is just the right size for some of the smaller air cargo companies who don’t have contracts with FedEx, DHL or another major carrier, but have the need to carry 1000 kilos of bulk cargo to remote locations regularly.” patrol activities, and, in cooperation with the Headquarters of the State Fire Service, actions to combat fires and natural disasters.

This launch order represents an additional €260 million in revenue for Sabrewing, as well as the launch of an additional product line. De Reyes also said that they expect to begin delivering the first Alpha models for type certification testing by the beginning of the 3rd quarter of 2023.

Built to robust military specifications, the Black Hawk family of helicopters is renowned for its proven combat performance and multi-mission capability. The latest generation of Black Hawks features digital avionics, powerful GE engines, high-strength airframe structures, and composite wide-chord rotor blades that yield increased situational awareness, survivability, and performance.