UAV Corp. Successfully Completes Inflation Test of DART SA-70 Airship, Paving Way for Flight Readiness
Rhea-AI Summary
UAV Corp (OTC: UMAV) has successfully completed the inflation test of its DART SA-70 airship at its Wewahitchka, Florida facility, marking the first of three major milestones toward deployment. The closed-door event included local government officials and investors with active LOIs.
The DART SA-70 (Detachable Airship Retractable Tether) is an unmanned lighter-than-air system designed for disaster relief, defense reconnaissance, public safety, and telecommunications. The platform offers both tethered and autonomous flight capabilities up to 10,000 feet MSL.
Key features include:
- Modular APODs design with dual drone launch capabilities
- Four Rotax 912is engines with planned transition to hybrid-electric or hydrogen fuel cell systems
- Special Airworthiness Certificate preparation
Positive
- Successfully completed first major milestone with inflation test
- Active Letters of Intent (LOIs) from investors present at demonstration
- Multiple potential revenue streams across government and commercial sectors
- Advanced features including dual drone launch capabilities and high-altitude operation
Negative
- Still requires completion of two more major milestones before deployment
- Future engine transition plans may require additional capital and development time
- Pending Special Airworthiness Certificate approval needed
- No current revenue generation from the project
News Market Reaction – UMAV
On the day this news was published, UMAV declined 20.00%, reflecting a significant negative market reaction.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
Milestone Draws Attention from Government Stakeholders, Industry Leaders, and Defense and Commercial Interests as UAV Corp Accelerates Toward Deployment
Listen to Audio Overview: Stream Advancements in Aerospace Technology_ The DART SA-70 Airship's Role in National Security and Disaster
WEWAHITCHKA, Fla., April 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- UAV Corp. (OTC: UMAV) today announced the successful completion of its DART SA-70 airship inflation test at its Wewahitchka, Florida facility—marking the first of three major milestones toward full operational deployment. The closed-door event, which welcomed local government officials, investors represented in active Letters of Intent (LOIs), and UAV Corp’s expanding technical team, serves as the official transition into the final flight readiness phase.
The DART SA-70 (Detachable Airship Retractable Tether) is UAV Corp’s flagship lighter-than-air (LTA) unmanned system, engineered to deliver a new class of high-endurance, multi-mission capability across disaster relief, defense reconnaissance, public safety, and telecommunications. Purpose-built to support FEMA, Homeland Security, Customs & Border Protection, and Naval Warfare applications, the platform offers both tethered and autonomous flight, with altitude ranges up to 10,000 feet MSL.
“This is more than a technical milestone—it’s a turning point,” said Michael Lawson, CEO of UAV Corp. “Today’s success affirms our vision for scalable, mission-driven airship technology and sets the stage for the next phase of testing and deployment. The SA-70 was envisioned as a transformative asset for agencies requiring persistent aerial presence in the harshest of environments. This success brings us one step closer to proving its value at scale.”
In addition to validating key structural and tether-control systems, the inflation test served as a critical training and onboarding exercise for UAV Corp’s new hires—part of the company’s commitment to workforce development in parallel with aerospace innovation. The airship’s modular APODs (Aerial Payload Operations Deck) design integrates mission-flexible avionics and dual drone launch capabilities, allowing for real-time surveillance and rapid-response deployment.
With inflation now complete, the next steps include weight balance analysis and live propulsion testing, utilizing four Rotax 912is engines with a future transition plan to hybrid-electric or hydrogen fuel cell systems. The DART SA-70 is being prepared under a Special Airworthiness Certificate ahead of Phase I flight testing scheduled for May/June 2025.
As UAV Corp continues to align cutting-edge aerospace engineering with national security and climate resilience missions, the SA-70 stands as a cornerstone of the company’s commitment to delivering scalable, next-gen technologies to federal and global partners.
About UAV Corp.
UAV Corp. (OTC: UMAV) is a Wyoming-based innovator in advanced aerial systems, delivering cutting-edge solutions for defense, logistics, and emergency response. With a focus on growth and technological leadership, UAV Corp. is committed to creating shareholder value and pursuing a Nasdaq uplisting.
Michael Lawson, CEO
mlawson@uavcorp.net | (877) 425-1066
115 County Road 381, Wewahitchka, FL 32465
www.uavcorp.net
Safe Harbor Statement:
The information provided in this release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Identifiable by words such as "may," "will," "should," "plans," "expects," "anticipates," "continue," "estimate," "project," "intend," and similar expressions, these statements may also be made in written or oral form in the company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, OTC Markets, press releases, other written materials, or in oral statements made by its officers, directors, or employees to third parties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate. The company cautions that these forward-looking statements are further qualified by other factors including, but not limited to, those set forth in the company's Disclosure Statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or anticipated. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, general economic and business conditions, effects of continued geopolitical unrest and regional conflicts, competition, changes in technology and methods of marketing, delays in completing various engineering and manufacturing programs, changes in customer order patterns, changes in product mix, continued success in technological advances and delivering technological innovations, shortages in components, production delays due to performance quality issues with outsourced components, and various other factors beyond the company's control. The company does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any statements in this release, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/217f7e3e-5615-451c-8eef-a8ec5c83e39c
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