Mayman Aerospace has unwrapped its new family of jet-powered, High-Speed Vertical Take-Off and Landing (HS VTOL) AI-equipped drones that can deliver everything from medical supplies to Hellfire missiles at 500 mph (800 km/h) in a compact airframe.
First shown in a 3D-printed mock up at SOF Week 2024 in Tampa, Florida, the new Razor VTOL aircraft is a derivation of Mayman's Speeder Air Utility Vehicle (AUV). The main difference is that instead of carrying a white-knuckled pilot on the back of a flying motorcycle the Razor is a scalable family of autonomous military drones designed for a variety of missions.
According to the company, the Razor is powered by four gimbaled jet turbine engines with vectored thrust that can burn any heavy fuel and can be refueled in minutes – giving it a considerable advantage over electric-propelled equivalents.
Depending on the variant, it can carry payloads from 100 lb (45 kg) up to 1,000 lb (450 kg) both internally and externally to an altitude of 20,000 ft (6,000 m) and can take off and land on a 10 ft x 10 ft (3 m x 3 m) area. It can also auto-abort and land without the need for a parachute.
In addition to this, the Razor ups the game by incorporating Mayman's Skyfield AI-controlled navigation and control software package, which is designed to integrate seamlessly with existing intelligence, surveillance, navigation, control, and strategic systems.
This AI capability provides situational awareness, the ability to navigate where GPS is not available, identify threats and suggest countermeasures, and generally simplify the field commander's tasks. In addition, Skyfield can direct squadrons of up to 1,000 razors at one time.
Razor is slated to come in a number of mission configurations. At its simplest, it's a cargo carrier that can be loaded with modules to resupply troops in the field or to deliver medical or humanitarian supplies quickly and without the need for runaways.
Take away the cargo and paint it orange, and the Razor turns into a target drone that mimics jet fighters and helicopters with the agility of an F-35 and other high-performance aircraft.
Cargo can also be replaced with a warhead, turning the Razor into a low-cost cruise missile. Load it with the right sensors, and it turns into an autonomous reconnaissance platform. It can also be loaded on the wings with small Air-to-Air or Air-to-Surface missiles, including Brimstone or Hellfire, to extend their range by 400 miles (650 km).
Source: Mayman Aerospace
