U.S. Navy buys Vanilla long-endurance unmanned aircraft

The U.S. Navy has awarded Platform Aerospace a $12.9 million contract modification for its Vanilla long-endurance unmanned aircraft system, backing continued work on a drone built to stay airborne for days at a time.

The award, valued at $12,893,010, goes to Platform Systems Inc., which operates as Platform Aerospace and is based in Hollywood, Maryland. The contract covers Vanilla unmanned aircraft systems, supporting hardware, spare parts, engineering services, and logistics support. Work will be carried out in Hollywood and is scheduled to run through August 2026.

At the center of the award is the Vanilla UAS, a land-launched drone that has drawn attention for its unusually long endurance. While many unmanned aircraft in the tactical class stay aloft for several hours, Vanilla is built for flights measured in days.

That endurance is what sets the platform apart. Platform Aerospace says the aircraft has demonstrated world-record flight duration and can carry out beyond visual line of sight missions, allowing operators to monitor large areas far from the launch site without having to recover and relaunch the aircraft repeatedly. That means one drone can cover vast stretches of terrain or ocean on a single mission. The company says the aircraft can remain on target for days or search thousands of miles in one flight.

The Navy contract also includes support for the drone’s mission payloads. Vanilla can carry multi-spectral imaging sensors used for remote sensing and surveillance, giving operators the ability to collect imagery across different wavelengths, including infrared and daylight views.

It can also be fitted with communications relay equipment, effectively turning the aircraft into an airborne signal node. That capability can help maintain links with tactical units operating in difficult terrain or in areas where communications infrastructure is limited.

The work package suggests the Navy is investing not just in the aircraft itself but in keeping the system available for continued operations and testing. Spare parts, engineering support, and logistics services are often key indicators of a program moving beyond a one-time demonstration.

Long-endurance systems have become increasingly important as the services look for platforms that can stay overhead for extended periods, particularly for maritime surveillance, reconnaissance, and communications support missions.

This latest award keeps the Vanilla program moving forward through 2026 and reinforces the Navy’s focus on unmanned systems built for persistent, beyond-line-of-sight operations.