Parallel Flight Tech accelerates international scaling of its heavy-lift drone activities

California heavy-lift drone specialist Parallel Flight Technologies (PFT) is moving to accelerate the growth of its business activities around the world through a pair of developments, including a purchase agreement for its flagship Firefly craft with Indian company UAV Systems Private Limited.

PFT’s deal with the Indian drone and robotics solution provider calls for the delivery of 25 heavy-lift Firefly UAVs, an equal number of other craft, plus ongoing maintenance, repair, and overhaul servicing of the vehicles. The value of the transaction was not revealed, but a communiqué from the Santa Cruz, California-area company termed it a “multimillion dollar” transaction.

In an era where even smaller-scale aerial craft purchases are often first framed in potentially fudgeable memoranda of understanding terms, the PFT accord with UAV Systems Private is notable in including up-front deposit payments for the 50 Firefly heavy-lift drones. Delivery of those is expected to begin sometime next year.

PFT describes UAV Systems Private as being backed by a “diversified group of major Indian conglomerates, spanning auto, (electric vehicles), battery manufacturing, fortified fencing, and hospitality” activities. That will not only provide it a wide range of applications to prove Firefly’s heavy-lift and extended flight capacities with Indian end-users, but also add further momentum for PFT’s continued US and international scaling.

“This purchase agreement with UAV Systems solidifies a commitment that reflects the growing demand for heavy-lift drone technology in India and around the world,” says PFT CEO Joshua Resnick. “By deploying and scaling our autonomous aircraft and combining Parallel’s customer centric focus with UAVS’ expertise in solution integration, we are confident that we will provide customers a premium turnkey experience, at low costs, for their critical applications.” 

Read: Parallel Flight’s Firefly heavy-lift drone to protect Wake Island from destructive rats

Weighing in at 120 lb., the heavy-lift drone offers what PFT calls 10 times better performance than its nearest competitor. It can remain aloft for four hours with 40 lb. of payload and seven hours carrying 10 lb., while reaching to speeds of 100 mph. Powered by a hybrid system of internal combustion engines paired with 60V, 5000 mAh batteries, Firefly UAVs can lug 100 lb. for two hours, and may eventually be developed to lift up to 1,000 ls.

PFT has adapted the heavy-lift drone to the exacting needs of firefights, and has also deployed Firefly to aid humanitarian, post-disaster, medical, and environmental protection missions.

Earlier in the month, PFT announced it was looking to grow its business in another way with the launch of its Deploy Flight Services unit. The company said the new division will use company tech as well as third-party solutions to provide end-to-end drone support to land management, agriculture, inspection and infrastructure logistics, healthcare, wind turbine maintenance, mining, maritime, defense, and other clients.