American company LeVanta Tech to develop flying amphibious UAV Halia with Ukrainian partners

American company LeVanta Tech has announced the start of cooperation with Ukroboronprom on the creation of a hybrid unmanned vehicle capable of functioning both as a maritime and an aerial drone.

The drone concept already exists and is called Halia. According to LeVanta Tech, this is a maritime unmanned vehicle that can remain on the water surface for extended periods with minimal detectability and, if necessary, transition to flight at high speed. The platform is aimed at reconnaissance, surveillance and strike missions in coastal and maritime operations.

Kelly Eccles, CEO and founder of LeVanta Tech, emphasised the technological and symbolic importance of the project for both sides in a comment to Militarnyi and called Ukraine “a world leader among free countries in the field of unmanned technologies”. According to him, there are currently many drones that fly and many that float, but “very few that can do both”.

LeVanta Tech is headquartered in California, holds contracts with the US Air Force and has recently opened an office in Estonia. In Ukraine the company plans to conduct joint research and development with Ukrainian engineers and to produce the first prototypes for testing. If successful, the company is considering the possibility of establishing production at Ukrainian facilities.

Ukroboronprom is the Ukrainian state defence conglomerate that unites state enterprises involved in the production, repair and modernisation of weapons, military equipment and ammunition.