UAV Corp. Successfully Completes Inflation Test of DART SA-70 Airship, Paving Way for Flight Readiness

April 24, 2025

-

UAV Corp. (OTC: UMAV) today announced the successful completion of its DART SA-70 airship inflation test at its Wewahitchka, Florida facility—marking the first of three major milestones toward full operational deployment. The closed-door event, which welcomed local government officials, investors represented in active Letters of Intent (LOIs), and UAV Corp’s expanding technical team, serves as the official transition into the final flight readiness phase.

The DART SA-70 (Detachable Airship Retractable Tether) is UAV Corp’s flagship lighter-than-air (LTA) unmanned system, engineered to deliver a new class of high-endurance, multi-mission capability across disaster relief, defense reconnaissance, public safety, and telecommunications. Purpose-built to support FEMA, Homeland Security, Customs & Border Protection, and Naval Warfare applications, the platform offers both tethered and autonomous flight, with altitude ranges up to 10,000 feet MSL.

“This is more than a technical milestone—it’s a turning point,” said Michael Lawson, CEO of UAV Corp. “Today’s success affirms our vision for scalable, mission-driven airship technology and sets the stage for the next phase of testing and deployment. The SA-70 was envisioned as a transformative asset for agencies requiring persistent aerial presence in the harshest of environments. This success brings us one step closer to proving its value at scale.”

In addition to validating key structural and tether-control systems, the inflation test served as a critical training and onboarding exercise for UAV Corp’s new hires—part of the company’s commitment to workforce development in parallel with aerospace innovation. The airship’s modular APODs (Aerial Payload Operations Deck) design integrates mission-flexible avionics and dual drone launch capabilities, allowing for real-time surveillance and rapid-response deployment.

With inflation now complete, the next steps include weight balance analysis and live propulsion testing, utilizing four Rotax 912is engines with a future transition plan to hybrid-electric or hydrogen fuel cell systems. The DART SA-70 is being prepared under a Special Airworthiness Certificate ahead of Phase I flight testing scheduled for May/June 2025.

As UAV Corp continues to align cutting-edge aerospace engineering with national security and climate resilience missions, the SA-70 stands as a cornerstone of the company’s commitment to delivering scalable, next-gen technologies to federal and global partners.

Source : UAV Corp.