Most military and police drones fall into three families. Each trades take-off convenience against endurance and range in a different way. Pick the family first, then the model.
The three families at a glance
| Multicopter | Hybrid VTOL | Fixed-wing | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Take-off and landing | Vertical, anywhere | Vertical, small pad | Runway, launcher or hand launch |
| Hover over a point | Yes | Yes, in rotor mode | No: it circles |
| Endurance | Shortest | Long | Longest |
| Range | Short | Long | Long |
| Set-up time | Fastest | Fast | Slower |
| Best for | Close-range ISR, inspection, quick checks | Long patrols from tight sites | Wide-area and route surveillance |
| Star INXS examples | MQ-750 MKIII: 60 min, 10 km | ADS-35: 4 h, 150 km | IKC-3.5: 5 h, 150 km |
Multicopters: fast to launch, easy to hover
A multicopter lifts on its rotors all the time. That makes it simple to fly and able to hold still over a target, but it spends energy just staying up, so endurance is measured in minutes. Choose one for perimeter checks, short-range ISR, inspection and quick-reaction tasks.
Our MQ family runs from the MQ-650 MKI (40 min, rated above 5,000 m) to the MQ-750 MKIII (60 min, 10 km). The MQ-JR adds a jammer-resistant, AES-256 encrypted link.
Fixed-wing: the most efficient way to cover ground
A wing makes lift for free once the aircraft is moving, so a fixed-wing UAV flies for hours on the same energy. The trade-off is launch and recovery: it needs a runway, a launcher or a clear landing area, and it cannot hover.
The IKC-3.5 has a 3.5 m wingspan, flies for up to 5 hours and covers 150 km with up to 5 kg of payload.
Hybrid VTOL: the best of both
A hybrid VTOL takes off and lands on lift rotors, then transitions to wing-borne flight. You get vertical take-off from a small site and fixed-wing endurance in cruise. It is the usual choice for long patrols from mountain posts, ships, forest clearings and other tight sites.
Our VTOLs: the Hybrid VTOL for very high-altitude EO/IR work (launch at 4,500–5,000 m, 7,000 m ceiling), the CONV V5 (2.5 h, above 5,000 m) and the ADS-35 (4 h, 150 km, up to 5 kg).
How to choose
- Start with the mission: how far away is the area, and how long must you watch it?
- Check the launch site: open ground, a pad, a ship deck or a mountain post?
- Decide whether you must hover over one point.
- Size the payload: camera, thermal, laser range finder or cargo.
- Then compare models on endurance, range and altitude at that payload.
