Poland marks first flights of ZEUS unmanned aircraft

The ZEUS unmanned aerial vehicle developed by Poland-based Ekolot Aerospace & Defense (EAD) in cooperation with Spain’s UAV Navigation-Grupo Oesía has completed its first flights, according to EPKR Spotters.

The ZEUS platform is designed to combine fixed-wing endurance with vertical take-off and landing (VTOL), addressing operational needs where traditional runways are unavailable.

EPKR Spotters wrote: “We have it! We are after the first test flights of ZEUS. The drone, controlled by Kuba Krukierek, took off in a CTOL configuration, reached a stable altitude, and maintained precise flight control. On Friday, the first AUTO-mode flight of an aircraft of this size also took place at EPKR.”

UAV Navigation-Grupo Oesía said it partnered with Ekolot Aerospace & Defense to integrate its flight control systems into the ZEUS platform, embedding guidance, navigation, and control capabilities into the aircraft.

According to the company, the ZEUS family covers a range of configurations, with maximum take-off weights between 100 and 250 kilograms for VTOL variants and up to 350 kilograms for conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) versions.

The system uses a modular design built around a single base airframe that can be adapted with either VTOL or CTOL conversion kits. Payload capacity ranges from 30 to 120 kilograms for VTOL variants and up to 150 kilograms for the CTOL ZEUS G configuration, which is designed for long-endurance missions lasting between 12 and 24 hours depending on payload and configuration.

In practical terms, ZEUS is designed to operate from remote or constrained locations without the need for prepared airstrips, while still maintaining the endurance advantages of a fixed-wing aircraft. This allows operators to deploy the system in areas where infrastructure is limited or under threat.

The platform integrates advanced autopilot systems from UAV Navigation-Grupo Oesía, including guidance, navigation, and control functions. The company said the system is capable of operating in environments where satellite navigation signals are degraded or unavailable, using high-precision inertial navigation and a visual navigation system.

This capability is particularly relevant for modern conflict environments, where electronic warfare can disrupt or deny GNSS signals, affecting the performance of unmanned systems that rely on satellite navigation.

The ZEUS program builds on a design philosophy focused on modularity and adaptability. By using a common airframe that can be configured for different mission types, the system is intended to reduce development timelines and simplify logistics compared to fully separate platforms.