✓ 100% NDAA Compliant ✓ Blue UAS Framework Ready ✓ American-Made

Aether-10 | Group 2 UAS | NDAA-Compliant | Forge and Flight

Endurance

2-5 hours

Payload

4-6kg

Wingspan

2.6m

Talk to a Mission Specialist Compare Configurations

Systems are tailored to mission requirements. Investment includes platform, sensors, ground control, training, and support—configured for your operational environment.

Aether-10

Entry-Level Research Platform with Optional AI Development

The Aether-10 delivers reliable, extended-endurance performance for research and monitoring applications where operational simplicity and proven performance are essential. Purpose-built for university programs, environmental studies, and agricultural research requiring complete NDAA compliance.

Mission Ready configuration adds NVIDIA Orin AGX for organizations pursuing AI autonomy development.

Available in fixed-wing and VTOL configurations.

Why Organizations Choose the Aether-10

The Aether-10 is the right platform when you need an NDAA-compliant Group 2 UAS that can be operated and sustained without a deep technical staff. With 2–5 hours of endurance and integrated FLIR EO/IR imaging, it covers the operational surface area of most university research and government monitoring programs at a fraction of the cost of higher-tier platforms.

University and Research Programs: The Aether-10 is used by aerospace engineering departments and research institutions requiring a production-grade, documentable platform for funded research. NDAA compliance enables use in federally funded programs without supply chain waiver requirements. The Mission Ready configuration’s NVIDIA Orin AGX opens the door to AI and autonomy research without requiring students or researchers to build custom hardware.

Environmental and Agricultural Monitoring: Fixed-wing endurance enables large-area coverage in a single sortie — agricultural surveys, watershed monitoring, wildfire assessment, and precision agriculture applications that would require multiple battery swaps on a multirotor. The VTOL variant eliminates runway requirements for deployments in constrained terrain.

State and Local Government: State agencies operating under procurement rules that require domestic supply chain documentation can deploy the Aether-10 with confidence. Complete component traceability and NDAA Section 848 compliance certificates are provided with every purchase order.

Operator Training

A platform without trained operators is hardware sitting in a case. Forge and Flight Academy — our wholly-owned training subsidiary — delivers platform-specific operator development programs built around exactly these systems.

For research and government buyers, platform delivery is only half the equation. Operators who can configure AI payloads, diagnose RF degradation, and sustain the platform in the field extract significantly more mission value than operators who can only fly it.

Recommended courses for Aether 10 operators: FFA-401 and FFR-201

View Academy Training Programs | Request a Training Proposal

NDAA Compliance

and Supply Chain

Every Aether-10 is manufactured at our North Carolina facility using 100% domestically sourced electronics. Supply chain documentation — including component-level provenance records — is provided with purchase. The Aether-10 qualifies for Blue UAS Framework consideration and meets NDAA Section 848 requirements for DoD procurement.

CAGE Code: 18VF2 | UEI: SUVKLZLPBJC1 | SAM Registration: Active

Upgrade Path

Organizations that begin with the Aether-10 have a direct upgrade path to the Vanguard-14 (Group 3, NVIDIA Thor AGX, 6–12 hour endurance) when mission requirements grow. Operator training completed on the Aether-10 transfers directly — both platforms share ArduPilot architecture and similar flight characteristics.

Three Configurations for Different Operational Needs

Each tier delivers specific operational capabilities tailored to your mission requirements.

Capability	Basic Proven Platform, Essential Operations	Professional Extended Operations, BVLOS-Ready	Mission Ready AI Development Platform
Platform & Sensors	NDAA-compliant airframe FLIR VIO F1 EO/IR Electric propulsion (2-4hr)	All Basic features Hybrid propulsion (6-8hr) 2x Starlink Mini hardware	All Professional features Enhanced PNT solution Ruggedized transport cases
AI Compute	None (standard autopilot only)	None (enhanced autopilot only)	NVIDIA Orin AGX edge compute AI integration suite Developer access & documentation
Autonomy Level	Standard waypoint navigation with exclusion zone fencing	Enhanced waypoint navigation BVLOS planning Advanced mission profiles	All Professional autonomy Custom AI model development Advanced autonomous capabilities
Communications	RFD900x (40km range) Standard GCS	RFD900x + Starlink Enhanced BVLOS GCS Extended range communications	All Professional comms Enhanced encryption options
Training & Support	2 days operator training 90-day warranty 48hr support response	3 days training (inc. BVLOS) 1-year warranty 24hr priority support Annual onsite maintenance	5 days training (inc. AI) 2-year warranty 12hr Gold support Round-trip shipping covered
Documentation & Tools	Technical manuals FAA registration support Range box with essential tools	All Basic docs STL files for customization Spare parts kit One-way shipping covered	All Professional docs Developer API access Custom autonomy support Advanced telemetry analysis
Best For	University research programs Environmental monitoring Budget-conscious deployments	Large-area environmental surveys Agricultural precision monitoring Government agency operations	AI development labs Autonomy research programs Advanced academic research
	Discuss Basic	Discuss Professional	Discuss Mission Ready

Investment Approach: Systems are configured to your mission requirements and operational environment. Our mission specialists work with your team to design the optimal configuration, integrate with your existing infrastructure, and provide training matched to your operator experience level. Both fixed-wing and VTOL variants available.

Technical Specifications

Fixed-Wing Variant

Endurance	2-5 hours
Wingspan	2.6m (8.5 ft)
MTOW	15kg (33 lbs)
Payload Capacity	4kg (8.8 lbs)
Cruise Speed	30 m/s (67 mph)
Max Speed	35 m/s (78 mph)
Wind Resistance	Up to 25 mph
Launch Method	Runway takeoff

VTOL Variant

Endurance	2-5 hours
Wingspan	2.6m (8.5 ft)
MTOW	23kg (50.7 lbs)
Payload Capacity	6kg (13.2 lbs)
Cruise Speed	30 m/s (67 mph)
Max Speed	35 m/s (78 mph)
Wind Resistance	Up to 25 mph
Launch Method	Vertical takeoff and landing

All Configurations Include

Sensor: FLIR VIO F1 EO/IR

Communications: RFD900x telemetry (40km+ range)

Autopilot: Waypoint navigation and geofencing

Propulsion: Electric or hybrid

Compliance: 100% NDAA Section 848, Blue UAS Framework ready

Mission Applications

Defense & Government ISR

Persistent tactical surveillance and reconnaissance
Patrol and monitoring in constrained or denied environments
Government agency operations with full NDAA compliance documentation
Multi-sortie coverage without runway infrastructure (VTOL variant)

Research & University Programs

Federally funded research requiring NDAA-compliant platforms
Large-area data collection for environmental and agricultural studies
Platform for sensor integration and flight test protocol development
BVLOS operational procedure development (Professional tier)

Infrastructure & Monitoring

Automated power line and pipeline corridor inspection
Watershed, wildfire, and environmental assessment
Large-area agricultural surveying in a single sortie
Persistent monitoring of remote or inaccessible installations

State & Local Government

Domestic supply chain documentation for state procurement compliance
NDAA Section 848 certificates provided with every purchase order
Emergency response and disaster assessment operations
Search and rescue with FLIR EO/IR imaging capability

Mission Economics

Extended endurance and NDAA-compliant design deliver operational cost and procurement advantages versus alternatives.

2-5 hours

Single-sortie endurance enables large-area coverage without multiple battery cycles

~$200

Estimated cost per flight hour vs. $5,000+ for manned alternatives

100%

NDAA compliant — no procurement waiver, no supply chain exception required

Group 2

Classification balances capability, operational authority, and procurement complexity

Total ownership cost includes acquisition, training, maintenance, and operational expenses over the system lifecycle. Our mission specialists can provide detailed cost modeling for your specific operational profile.

Operator Training Available

Platform delivery without trained operators creates a support dependency.

Forge and Flight Academy — our sister organization — offers operator training programs built specifically for the platforms in this ecosystem. FFF-401 (FPV Systems Integration), FFR-201 (Tactical RF), and FFF-402 (Master Trainer Certification) are purpose-built to close the gap between platform acquisition and organic operational capability.

View Training Programs

Request training proposal →

Ready to Discuss Your Mission Requirements?

Our mission specialists work directly with defense organizations, research institutions, and government agencies to design optimal UAS configurations for specific operational needs.

Talk to a Mission Specialist Compare All Platforms

What to expect: Initial consultation to understand your mission parameters, operational environment, and compliance requirements. We'll provide configuration recommendations, integration planning, and total ownership cost analysis.

Lead time: 10-14 weeks from contract signature to delivery, including platform configuration, integration, and pre-delivery testing.