Certo Aerospace Wins UK MOD Contract to Demonstrate Heavy-Lift UAS

CAPSTONE UAS to Showcase Logistics and CASEVAC Capabilities Under Project MORRIGHAN

Certo Aerospace Ltd. has been awarded a contract by the UK Ministry of Defence (UK MOD) to demonstrate heavy-lift uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) capabilities. The agreement falls under Phase 2 of the MOD’s Project MORRIGHAN, which is evaluating the use of vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) UAS for logistics and casualty evacuation (CASEVAC) missions.

Demonstrating Logistics and CASEVAC Operations

The trials will showcase Certo’s CAPSTONE VTOL UAS executing pick-up, transit, and drop-off of four distinct logistics and CASEVAC carriage systems developed during Phase 1 of Project MORRIGHAN. Both manual and automated attachment systems will be tested.

The demonstrations at Keevil Airfield will include fully autonomous take-off, climb, waypoint navigation, descent, and precision landing.

Justin Tooth, Managing Director of Certo Aerospace Ltd., said, “I’m very happy that our 600kg class CAPSTONE UAS has been selected by UKMOD to trial VTOL UAS logistics and CASEVAC capabilities which can improve operational effectiveness on land and at sea, as well as lowering operational risk to personnel and reducing operating costs. This contract demonstrates confidence in Certo’s co-axial rotor system and modular payload capabilities in delivering both a high payload/range performance and the potential to operate from confined areas and single-spot ships.”

CAPSTONE VTOL UAS

The CAPSTONE 660 is a 600kg maximum take-off weight (MTOW) coaxial rotor VTOL UAS powered by an internal combustion engine. It can carry up to 300kg of fuel and payload, allowing transport of 180kg of cargo over 190 miles. Alternatively, it can deploy a 113kg sensor package for 5.5 hours at a 50-mile radius of action.

Operating from both land and sea platforms, CAPSTONE is designed to deliver capabilities at a fraction of the cost of crewed platforms while requiring fewer personnel. Use cases include logistics, surveillance, communications relay, airborne delivery, and CASEVAC. Flight tests are authorized under the UK Civil Aviation Authority’s Special Operations Risk Assessment framework.

Why Coaxial Rotor Design Matters

Certo emphasizes the advantages of coaxial rotor design, which eliminates the need for a tail rotor and allows for compact, ship-ready aircraft. The configuration offers greater efficiency by reducing energy loss, increasing maneuverability, and enhancing safety in challenging flight conditions such as steep descents or turbulent air.

“Unsurprisingly, coaxials are my top pick,” wrote Tooth in a recent technical paper. “With the contra-rotating rotors stacked like that (one over the other), the airframe can be relatively compact with no tail rotor needed for anti-torque and no long fuselage needed as in the tandems.”

Certo has also highlighted that coaxial systems scale efficiently, making them suitable for future growth into larger heavy-lift UAS categories.

Project MORRIGHAN

Project MORRIGHAN is sponsored by UK MOD’s JHubMed and is structured under the Heavy Lift Challenge framework. The initiative is designed to evaluate platform-agnostic prototypes for the carriage of medical and logistic materiel, with potential for in-extremis CASEVAC missions.

The project aims to refine tactics, techniques, and procedures for VTOL UAS operations while building safety evidence to support both Civil Aviation Authority and future Military Aviation Authority permissions.

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