Sikorsky Innovations, the technology development organization of Sikorsky Aircraft, made an equity investment in Adaptive Flight, a Georgia-based manufacturer of avionics system solutions for small and medium-sized unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), the company announced Monday. The amount of the investment was not disclosed.
Sikorsky said the investment, in part, will be directed toward developing technologies that allow piloted and unpiloted aircraft to work together, an area in which the parties have been collaborating.
"Adaptive Flight is a great match with the Sikorsky Innovations’ charter to redefine the future of vertical flight. We are pleased with this investment and look forward to working more closely with them," said Chris Van Buiten, director of Sikorsky Innovations. "Adaptive Flight is a leader in autonomous technology development for small-scale rotorcraft, and it brings a solid expertise in small unmanned systems as well as a broad synergy with our Manned/Unmanned Resupply Aerial Lifter program."
"This is a big deal for us," said Henrik Christophersen, CEO of Adaptive Flight. "Sikorsky’s recognition of our technology and capabilities, as well as the opportunity for growth and collaboration this investment enables, represents a significant step for Adaptive Flight. We look forward to working with Sikorsky and to apply our products and skills to develop new and exciting unmanned Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) solutions for a wide range of applications."