Safran Power Units and UVAD Technologies Inc. have announced their partnership regarding the propulsion system for the Falcon Supersonic UAV. It will be powered by two turbojet engines provided by Safran Power Units, delivering robustness, reliability, and extended lifespan, far exceeding current industry standards.
Falcon is an innovative, affordable, and reusable supersonic aerial target designed to support the increasingly sophisticated missile defence training required by the armed forces. Its architecture also offers potential for broader high-speed missions beyond simulating modern threats.
Safran Power Units will supply engines enabling the Falcon to reach supersonic speeds at low and medium altitudes, while ensuring rapid deployment and recovery. This level of performance allows for more frequent and cost-effective training sessions for air, naval, and missile defense operators.
David Birkett, UVAD Technologies Inc. CEO, said: “We are particularly pleased to be entering into this partnership with Safran Power Units, a globally recognised expert in the field of high-performance and affordable turbojet engines. Our two companies share a common vision for high-performance, affordable defence systems capable of addressing the challenges of the future, particularly those posed by supersonic threats.”
Ghislaine Doukhan, Safran Power Units CEO, said: “We are excited to start this partnership with UVAD to provide the propulsion system for their Falcon drone. The choice of our engines will make a significant contribution to the Falcon’s capabilities in terms of supersonic flight, robustness, and cost-effectiveness.”
This strategic collaboration combines UVAD’s innovation in aerospace and defense with Safran Power Units’ global excellence in propulsion technology. Beyond today’s training needs, this partnership anticipates tomorrow’s challenges by offering armed forces an adaptable solution. With its modular architecture and autonomous flight system, Falcon embodies the shared ambition of Safran Power Units and UVAD to make advanced defense technology more accessible and adaptable to evolving operational environments. This innovative system will notably allow a single operator to oversee multiple drones simultaneously, optimizing the efficiency and flexibility of training scenarios.
Following a successful ground testing campaign in 2026, the program will enter its flight test phase in 2027, an essential milestone towards the operational deployment of the Falcon Supersonic UAV.
Noah Note: A very interesting collaboration, though admittedly the number of providers here is single digits, so perhaps not surprising in itself. UVAD is a very interesting company, and Falcon an interesting platform. Mach 1.6 max speed, 50 kg payload capacity, and has its own containerized launch system in dveelopment.
While marketed as an aerial target, primarily to mimic modern throughs like Low-Observable Cruise Missiles, Modern, Highly-Manoeuvrable UAS, and other modern threats, the company has not turned away the idea of Falcon evolving into something more akin to a CCA, or at least integrating things like an ISR or EW caoability into the platform.
It is one of two major Canadian CCA prigrams ongoing, the other being the Dominion Scout. Smaller I would say than what Dominion is thinking, and there are a few natural limits to Falcon in payload and emdurance that suit it better maybe less as a CCA as many of you think of it.
That isn't to discount it either. Smaller, cheaper, attritable UAS will always be in demand, at least going into the future, and developing Canadian solutions, hopefully backed by Canadian Industry is a fantastic way to help develop our Aerospace and Autonomy industries without reliance on larger platforms.