Screengrab of Dronamics’ Black Swan UAS from promotional video published by the manufacturer in January 2026. (Dronamics )
Hensoldt and Bulgarian firm Dronamics will collaborate on integrating an airborne early warning (AEW) system on the Black Swan long-range cargo unmanned aircraft system (UAS), according to a 12 February press release from Hensoldt.
As part of the partnership, Hensoldt’s intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR) system, which includes a MissionGrid suite with MissMarvin mission management software and PrecISR synthetic aperture radar (SAR) will be integrated into the Dronamics NATO-designated Class 3 UAS.
Demonstrations planned for 2026 will be followed by “operational deployment with a focus on strengthening Europe’s capabilities along the Eastern Flank, Mediterranean, and the Atlantic”, as per the release.
Dronamics’ Black Swan cargo UAS is a “100% made in Europe platform”, it added.
The Black Swan UAS has a payload of 350 kg, a range of 2,500 km, and a cruising speed of 200 km/h and can either be remotely piloted or automated, according to Dronamics. The UAS is operated using a mobile ground control station (GCS) with satellite communications (satcom).
Hensoldt’s MissionGrid is a network of radar and electro-optical sensors combined with data fusion applications. It can be integrated on fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and UASs, and is used by air and naval forces, law enforcement, and for border protection operations, as previously reported by Janes . MissionGrid can be “expanded for aircraft operations in contested, hostile, or GPS-denied airspace”, according to the system’s technical specifications. This includes protection from ballistic, radio frequency (RF), and optically guided weapons.
Hensoldt’s PrecISR is a family of X-band (NATO I-/J-band, 8–12 GHz) gallium nitride (GaN)-based active electronically scanned array (AESA) airborne surveillance radars, according to
Go beyond the headlines — with direct links to interconnected entities
Get full access to validated equipment, military capabilities, and market insights.
