Skyworks Global Inc. and UTVA, a subsidiary of Serbian-Government owned Yugoimport, announced a strategic partnership to manufacture Skyworks' 5 seat runway independent gyroplane.

The Hawk 5 gyroplane combines the safety, reliability and cost effectiveness of fixed wing aircraft with the runway independence of a helicopter. Its simple, elegant design reduces much of the complexity associated with rotary wing aircraft, resulting in lower operating costs and higher reliability and making the Hawk 5 particularly well suited to serve delivery, transportation and patrol needs in a wide range of environments including the rugged conditions seen in developing countries.

The Hawk 5 will be built at UTVA's 925,000 sq. ft. facility at Pancevo Center in Serbia, which has a rich tradition of aircraft manufacturing. Offering highly sophisticated production and system capabilities from a trained labor force of qualified aerospace professionals operating within an economically competitive region, UTVA's 80+ years of demonstrated manufacturing excellence well-positions both companies to capitalize on and meet the demand for safe, low-cost runway independent aircraft. In addition to manufacturing its own aircraft, UTVA has achieved ISO 9001 quality assurance certification and has been certified by Boeing since 1990 as an airframe parts and assemblies manufacturer. As a Boeing certified supplier, the center has produced machined and sheet metal aircraft parts, tools and assemblies, including slats, wing tips and floor supports, for Boeing 737, 747 and 757 aircraft.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic stated: "I fully support the agreement between Skyworks and UTVA and believe that the production of gyroplanes in Serbia will be important to Serbia."

"This is a very historic day for our company," remarked Skyworks-Global Executive Director Brig. General (Ret.) John Michel. "As the world leader in the science and technology of gyronautics, striving to make runway independent transportation systems available to cost-sensitive customers in the first world as well as to developing countries that lack the infrastructure to support maintenance intensive systems, this partnership enables us to produce safe, highly reliable and affordable aircraft for a host of markets that have, until now, been significantly underserved. With a strong leadership and technical team and a deep bench of intellectual property, Skyworks' manufacturing partnership with UTVA positions us to be the first in the modern world to commercialize Gyrocraft at scale."