UAV Navigation–Grupo Oesía is supplying its flight control system for the DRIADE fixed-wing UAV developed by SE Aviation. The French manufacturer platform, with 820 kg of Maximum Take-Off Weight (MTOW) is designed for reconnaissance and wildfire response missions.

Through this collaboration, UAV Navigation–Grupo Oesía brings its extensive expertise in critical Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) operations in complex environments to provide the DRIADE project with autonomy by integrating its VECTOR-600 flight control system. The Spanish technology will enable the aircraft to perform fully autonomous missions with a high level of safety, precision, and reliability. 

First Milestones Achieved: From Manned to Unmanned

In the initial phase, the team successfully integrated the VECTOR-600 autopilot into a manned platform developed by SE Aviation, the MCR 4S, to prove its advanced capabilities to control an Optionally Piloted Vehicle (OPV) and its conversion into an unmanned aircraft. This setup allows the aircraft to be operated either manually by an onboard pilot or remotely via the UAV Navigation-Grupo Oesía flight control system.

During this stage, multiple flight tests were conducted to validate the performance of the aircraft using UAV Navigation–Grupo Oesía’s Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) systems, ensuring a smooth transition between manned and unmanned operations. This milestone represents a key step toward achieving full autonomy for the DRIADE platform.

Next Steps for DRIADE: Towards Reconnaissance and Intervention Autonomous Operations

Thanks to the modularity and flexibility of its flight control system, UAV Navigation–Grupo Oesía is currently designing an advanced flight control system architecture tailored to the operational and regulatory requirements of the DRIADE UAS. This work includes the development of robust redundancy strategies to ensure high levels of fault tolerance in line with aviation safety standards.

“This collaboration reinforces our commitment to delivering advanced, modular and reliable flight control solutions tailored to each customer’s mission needs, while incorporating the necessary levels of redundancy and safety to support high operational certification standards,” stated Laura García-Junceda, Project Manager at UAV Navigation–Grupo Oesía.

This collaboration represents a new example of effective European coordination in the unmanned systems sector, where UAV Navigation–Grupo Oesía plays a key role as a trusted expert in guidance, navigation and control solutions. It also highlights SE Aviation’s position as a reliable European UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) manufacturer, recently selected by the French Direction Générale de l’Armement (DGA) under one of five framework agreements to support the development of Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) demonstrators from 2026 onwards. The DRIADE project exemplifies not just the delivery of robust and reliable flight control technology, but also the close technical support and mission-specific developments that UAV Navigation–Grupo Oesía provides to meet the evolving needs of each customer.