Aviation company Apex set to collaborate with a drone manufacturing firm

Apex Aviation and Tekever Partner to Strengthen Taiwan's Defense Capabilities with Advanced Drones

Apex Aviation, a renowned aviation training institution known for preparing pilots for commercial airlines, has formed a strategic partnership with Portugal-based drone manufacturer Tekever. This collaboration aims to introduce Tekever's advanced drones, including the AR3 model, to Taiwan.

The AR3 drone, with its modular design, allows for quick swapping of payloads and integration of various sensors. This versatility is expected to significantly enhance Taiwan's capabilities in intelligence gathering, surveillance, and reconnaissance.

Tekever's drones, including the AR3, have already proven their worth, accumulating over 10,000 flight hours during the Russia-Ukraine war. The AR3 drone, in particular, has demonstrated impressive endurance, capable of operating for up to 16 hours in fixed-wing mode. It also boasts the ability to safely land on a ship's deck and difficult terrain using its vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) mode.

Apex Aviation has been actively involved in the government-funded Goshawk Project, using a Tecnam P2012 Sentinel SMP twin-engine aircraft for military-grade sensor detection of Chinese military and research vessels around Taiwan. The complementary roles of these two aircraft, combined with real-time AI-assisted intelligence feedback, are expected to further bolster Taiwan's defense system.

In addition to crewed fixed-wing aircraft, these drones could be dispatched for long-duration surveillance and precise target identification. Apex Aviation has invested in training operators of drones weighing 25kg or heavier, ensuring that the necessary skills are in place to effectively utilise the AR3 drones.

Tekever will serve as consultants in the training of drone operators, specifically for the AR3 model. They will also provide their AI-driven data processing and application platform, ATLAS, which integrates AI-driven real-time analysis, mission replay, heat mapping, multi-drone coordination capabilities, and other functions.

The partnership was announced at the Taipei Airspace and Defense Technology Exhibition, signalling a significant step towards developing capabilities for aerial reconnaissance and surveillance tasks in Taiwan, and building a resilient defense system. While the search results do not provide information about the company producing the AR3 drones intended for future use in Taiwan, there is a possibility that they may be manufactured in Taiwan following the partnership.

This collaboration is expected to play a crucial role in enhancing Taiwan's defense capabilities, offering a promising future for aerial surveillance and reconnaissance tasks.