Skyryse and Robinson Helicopter Company have entered a formal partnership to develop a Group 4 unmanned aircraft system for defense applications, integrating the SkyOS fly-by-wire system into the Robinson R66 platform. The June 24, 2026, announcement builds on a series of technical and financial milestones for El Segundo, California-based Skyryse, including a $300 million Series C funding round and the commencement of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for-credit flight testing earlier in the year.

The core of this technology is the Skyryse One, a heavily modified Robinson R66 that replaces traditional mechanical flight controls with a digital operating system. According to company publications, the integration of SkyOS is designed to reduce pilot workload and introduce automated safety features to the light helicopter market.

Replacing Mechanical Controls with SkyOS

In technical documents published by Skyryse, the company detailed the extensive modifications required to convert a standard Robinson R66 into the Skyryse One. The retrofit removes more than 100 traditional mechanical parts, including pull tubes, hydraulic systems, the cyclic, the collective, and anti-torque pedals. These are replaced by a single control stick and dual touchscreens.

By eliminating these mechanical linkages, Skyryse states the fly-by-wire system removes 324 potential failure points from the aircraft. The underlying Rolls-Royce RR300 turbine engine remains unchanged from the standard R66, which was originally certified by the FAA in 2010.

The SkyOS system introduces several automated flight capabilities. These include dynamic envelope protection, hover assist, and automated autorotation. Skyryse previously demonstrated the automated autorotation capability in 2023, setting a recognized world record for the maneuver.

Skyryse has set an introductory price of $1,800,000 for the Skyryse One, compared to approximately $1,400,000 for a standard Robinson R66 equipped with optional upgrades. The company anticipates the Skyryse One will be the only helicopter capable of Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) operations priced under two million dollars.

Expanding into Defense with Group 4 UAS

The June 2026 partnership between Skyryse and Torrance, California-based Robinson Helicopter Company pivots the SkyOS technology toward military applications. The companies are collaborating to produce a Group 4 unmanned aircraft system (UAV) based on the R66 airframe.

The uncrewed platform is intended to support a variety of military missions, including collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) operations, air-launched effects (ALE), and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) profiles.

“Defense agencies need autonomous aircraft that are reliable, affordable and available now, not years from now. Robinson gives us the production infrastructure to deliver at scale and at a cost point that meets real-world, time-critical needs.”

David Smith, President and CEO of Robinson Helicopter Company, noted in the joint press release that manufacturing the SkyOS-powered UAS represents a natural extension of the manufacturer‘s core competency in producing reliable aircraft at scale.

FAA Testing and Series C Funding

The defense partnership follows significant regulatory and financial progress for the civil Skyryse One program. On February 17, 2026, Skyryse announced it had received approval to enter for-credit flight testing with the FAA. This marks a critical phase in securing a supplemental type certificate for the modified aircraft. The company previously received a Special Airworthiness Certificate for the first Skyryse One in October 2024.

Coinciding with the FAA testing milestone, Skyryse announced the closure of a $300 million Series C funding round in February 2026. The capital injection brought the company’s valuation to $1.15 billion. Skyryse stated the funds will be used to advance FAA certification efforts and scale the deployment of the SkyOS system.

AirPro News analysis

We note that adapting a certified, mass-produced light helicopter like the Robinson R66 into a Group 4 UAS offers defense agencies a lower-risk, lower-cost alternative to clean-sheet military drone programs. By leveraging Robinson’s established manufacturing infrastructure, Skyryse can bypass the production scaling challenges that typically hinder aerospace startups attempting to build new aircraft from scratch.

The dual-track approach of pursuing civil FAA certification for the piloted Skyryse One while simultaneously developing a military UAS provides the company with diversified revenue potential. If Skyryse successfully certifies the fly-by-wire system for general aviation, the removal of complex mechanical linkages could fundamentally alter maintenance schedules and operational costs for light helicopter operators. The $400,000 price premium over a standard R66 will likely be weighed by operators against the promised safety enhancements and the rare inclusion of IFR capabilities in this weight class.

Sources: Skyryse Technical Comparison

Airbus Helicopters delivered the first H145M to the Kingdom of Belgium on June 24, 2026, at its Donauwörth, Germany facility, while concurrently announcing that the nation has exercised options for three additional aircraft to bring its total fleet order to 20.

In a press release issued by Airbus, the manufacturer confirmed the delivery marks a major milestone in modernizing Belgium’s defense and law enforcement aviation capabilities. The original procurement contract, facilitated through the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) in 2024, initially covered 15 helicopters for the Belgian Armed Forces and two for the Belgian Federal Police. The three newly exercised options are designated for the Federal Police, finalizing the 20-aircraft fleet structure.

Fleet expansion and delivery details

The handover ceremony in Donauwörth solidifies Belgium’s commitment to the multi-role platform. Thomas Hein, Head of Europe Region at Airbus Helicopters, emphasized the significance of the expanded orders and the operational trust placed in the aircraft.

“This platform has become the definitive European reference for military multi-mission capabilities. Belgium’s decision to extend their fleet to 20 aircraft is a powerful testament to the deep trust placed in our team and the H145M’s ability to meet today’s evolving security challenges,” Hein stated.

Hein also noted that Airbus is honored Belgium is joining a growing community of European nations utilizing the H145M for critical operations. The global fleet of the H145 family has accumulated 8.5 million flight hours to date, providing a proven operational baseline for the new Belgian aircraft.

Technical capabilities and mission flexibility

The Airbus H145M is engineered for rapid reconfiguration to support diverse mission profiles. According to the manufacturer, operators can convert the aircraft within minutes from a light attack configuration, which includes axial ballistic and guided weapons alongside self-protection systems, to a special operations setup equipped with fast-rappelling gear.

The helicopter features advanced digital connectivity designed to integrate into networked combat environments and operate alongside uncrewed aerial systems (UAS). Power is delivered by two Safran Arriel 2E engines equipped with full authority digital engine control (FADEC). The flight deck utilizes the Helionix digital avionics suite, which incorporates a 4-axis autopilot to reduce pilot workload during complex missions.

AirPro News analysis

We view Belgium’s decision to exercise its remaining options so early in the delivery cycle as a strong indicator of the H145M’s established reputation within NATO and European defense frameworks. By utilizing the NSPA for procurement and selecting a platform already widely adopted across the continent, Belgium ensures streamlined maintenance, training, and interoperability with allied forces. The dual-allocation strategy, splitting the fleet between the Armed Forces and the Federal Police, also highlights a growing trend among European nations to leverage single-platform economies of scale across both military and civil law enforcement domains.

Sources: Airbus

This article summarizes reporting by Reuters by Angelo Amante.

Italy is actively courting new international partners, including Germany and Saudi Arabia, to join the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) in an effort to distribute the sixth-generation fighter’s escalating development costs. The overture follows the recent collapse of a rival European fighter project, positioning the trilateral alliance of the United Kingdom, Italy, and Japan to potentially absorb displaced industrial partners.

Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto announced the expansion strategy in Rome on June 23, 2026. According to Reuters, Crosetto emphasized that broadening the coalition would increase the program’s viability by sharing the massive financial burden required to field the advanced aircraft by its 2035 target date.

Expanding the international coalition

The GCAP initiative formally launched in December 2022 to develop a next-generation combat aircraft. While the core partnership remains between the UK Ministry of Defence, the Italian Ministry of Defence, and the Japanese Ministry of Defense, Italian leadership is now publicly identifying specific nations for potential inclusion.

Crosetto noted that Canada has expressed interest in joining the program as an observer, an arrangement Italy fully supports. Beyond observer status, the defense minister explicitly named Germany and Saudi Arabia as candidates for deeper involvement. He stated that adding these nations would improve the chances of successfully delivering the aircraft while driving down overall costs.

The invitation to Germany is particularly notable given the shifting landscape of European defense procurement. Earlier in June 2026, Germany and France abandoned the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) due to unresolvable industrial disputes between Airbus and Dassault Aviation. The dissolution of FCAS leaves Germany without a domestic sixth-generation fighter program, making GCAP a logical alternative. Leonardo S.p.A. Chief Executive Officer Lorenzo Mariani previously signaled support for this pivot on June 9, 2026, noting that Germany would bring valuable industrial expertise to the joint venture.

Financial pressures and upcoming milestones

Italy’s push for new partners aligns with a sharp increase in its domestic financial commitments to the project. In January 2026, the Italian Ministry of Defence informed its parliament that the estimated cost for the first two phases of GCAP had tripled. The projected expense rose from an initial estimate of €6 billion to €18.6 billion ($21.8 billion) as technology maturation and development requirements became clearer, according to Defense News.

Despite the rising costs, the core partners are advancing toward binding agreements. Breaking Defense reported that the UK is expected to sign a new international contract for the next phase of GCAP by the end of June 2026. This pending agreement, valued at £686 million ($905 million) for design and development work, follows mid-June meetings between UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi aimed at accelerating the program’s timeline.

AirPro News analysis

We view the potential integration of Germany into GCAP as a major realignment of the European aerospace sector. If Berlin formally pivots to the UK-Italy-Japan consortium, it would consolidate European sixth-generation fighter development under a single umbrella. However, integrating a partner of Germany’s industrial weight will require complex renegotiations of workshare. The current industrial arrangement is carefully balanced among BAE Systems, Leonardo, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. Adding German contractors to the Edgewing joint venture would dilute the existing partners’ shares, potentially complicating the rapid development schedule required to meet the 2035 in-service target.

Sources: Reuters