Vector’s Longbow drone clears key Pentagon certifications

Vector, a self-described “modern warfare-as-a-service” provider, says its Longbow drone platform has officially cleared two of the US government’s most important vetting programs for military-grade unmanned systems.

The company announced that Longbow has received both Blue UAS Cleared and Green UAS Cleared certification following independent third-party assessment and a rigorous review process conducted through the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI).

Those certifications matter. The Blue UAS list, overseen by the Department of Defense, identifies drones that meet strict cybersecurity and supply chain requirements for government use. Green UAS certification, administered by AUVSI, similarly verifies compliance with federal standards and ensures systems are free from prohibited foreign components. For defense buyers navigating growing scrutiny around supply chains and data security, those stamps of approval can make or break procurement decisions.

Longbow itself is a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) drone built to operate in high-wind, austere, and contested environments. Developed in close partnership with Overhead Intelligence, a Florida-based R&D firm specializing in autonomous airborne geophysical surveys, the platform is designed to be modular and mission-adaptable.

In practical terms, that means operators can rapidly swap and integrate different payloads — from optics and electronic warfare systems to sensing packages and command-and-control tools. The open architecture also supports multi-sensor fusion, autonomous onboard processing, and resilient networking. That flexibility allows units to tailor the aircraft for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), as well as SIGINT/ELINT, spectrum analysis, and magnetometry missions.

The platform is also built to plug into existing military ecosystems. Vector says Longbow integrates agnostically with MANET and mesh networks, Starlink connectivity, and Tactical Assault Kit (TAK) systems, enabling distributed operations and edge-enabled decision-making. In communications-denied or GPS-challenged environments — increasingly common in modern conflicts — that kind of resilient networking is critical.

According to Vector, Longbow is not just a prototype chasing paperwork. The system has already been fielded in government and allied missions, including operations in complex terrain and maritime environments.

CEO Andy Yakulis frames the dual certification as validation of the company’s manufacturing discipline and compliance rigor. He emphasizes that Longbow is built at scale and designed to strengthen what he calls the growing US drone industrial base, particularly as Washington pushes to reduce reliance on adversarial supply chains.

Vector was founded by former Tier 1 special operations personnel and defense technology experts who say they built the company around real-world battlefield needs. The firm focuses primarily on small unmanned aircraft in the Group 1 and Group 2 categories, including first-person view kinetic drones and advanced systems for intelligence and electronic operations.

With validated production and sustainment processes now in place, Vector says Longbow is positioned for near-term fielding and long-term scalability. At a time when the Pentagon is under pressure to accelerate drone deployment while tightening oversight, a dual-certified, NDAA-compliant VTOL system could give Vector a meaningful foothold in the increasingly competitive US defense drone market.

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