The National Security Innovation Capital (NSIC), a component program within the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) awarded a follow-on $2M in non-dilutive funding to Parallel Flight Technologies (PFT), a California-based heavy-lift drone and hybrid propulsion technology company. This contract continues support and backing for the operational testing of the Firefly UAS, in advance of its targeted commercial deployment to the DoD and private sectors.

Parallel Flight has developed Firefly, a Hybrid unmanned aircraft system (UAS) to exponentially improve range and payload capacities of currently available UASs. Leveraging PFT’s patented Parallel Hybrid Electric Multirotor (PHEM) architecture, Firefly overcomes the technology gap that poses critical mission limitations for emerging defense and commercial applications.

This award is the second phase of a multi-part agreement, in which an additional $2M in funding will be allocated to a series of milestones aimed at enhancing Firefly’s capabilities and proving its reliability. Specifically, funding will support verification of the performance envelope to confirm the aircraft’s operational limits and metrics in diverse conditions; build of additional aircraft; and DOD customer demonstrations, showcasing Firefly’s versatility and potential for defense applications.

The subsequent award, follows the successful completion of an initial $1M tranche, which included milestones such as demonstration of Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations and validation of Firefly’s power-train reliability.

“This follow-on funding from the National Security Innovation Capital is a testament to the confidence in Firefly’s potential to improve operational ranges of existing UASs,” said Craig Stevens, CEO of Parallel Flight Technologies. “We are excited to continue working with DIU and NSIC in a collaborative fashion to meet the needs of the commercial and defense sectors.”

Parallel Flight’s NDAA compliant flagship hybrid aircraft, the 270 lb (122 kg) MTOW Firefly, is produced in the USA and has been widely praised as a ‘heavy-lift workhorse’ and is well suited for numerous defense and industrial applications. Backed by the National Security Innovation Council (NSIC), USDA, NASA and NSF, the company’s proprietary PHEM propulsion technology, enables the Firefly to carry an impressive 100 lb (45 kg) payload for up to 1.6 hours, extending mission durations and expanding operational capabilities.