Zenith AeroTech, a leading developer of heavy-lift tethered aerial vehicles (TAVs), announced today that it has formed a strategic partnership with VIRTEX Enterprises (“VIRTEX”), an Austin-based electronics manufacturing service provider, to meet increasing customer demand for more TAVs in shorter timeframes and for these platforms to be NDAA compliant

“This new partnership allows our two companies to leverage their individual areas of expertise,” said Kutlay Kaya, chairman of Zenith AeroTech. “Zenith brings years of custom-made TAV and free-flight drone design and manufacturing experience, while VIRTEX—an AS 9100 accredited organization—contributes its sought-after advanced electronics design, manufacturing, and testing capabilities.”

Zenith AeroTech offers industry, Federal government, first responder, telecommunications, and military customers the option of three different, highly customizable TAV platforms: Hexa, Quad 8, and Quadro. Thanks to Zenith’s Ground Power-Tether Management System, these TAVs can stay aloft for days at a time, delivering true persistent surveillance.

VIRTEX provides engineering services, design, system level integration, PCBA and full life cycle management services for the aerospace, military, and commercial market. These services are delivered in vertically integrated solutions with an aim towards long-term customer partnerships.

“VIRTEX’s U.S.-based manufacturing capability and its specialized aerospace experience will ensure that Zenith products are all American-made and fully NDAA compliant, unlike other drone suppliers,” said Kaya. “VIRTEX will also allow Zenith to scale up production to meet larger volume orders in a shorter timeframe.”

Meanwhile, Zenith will help VIRTEX enter the growing, technically sophisticated small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) market, with introductions to new defense and law enforcement customers.

Dana Pittman, Executive VP of VIRTEX, noted that the combination of the two companies brings with it a great deal of technical depth.

“The vertical capabilities of our two companies include full system design, manufacture and integrated test,” Pittman said. “We offer leading-edge custom solutions that support multiple channels, including defense. With this partnership, VIRTEX and Zenith will build complex systems to address diverse and complex problem sets.”