AUSA 2025: IAI’s BlueBird Aero Systems and AEVEX Aerospace debut OmniRaider VTOL UAV

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) subsidiary BlueBird Aero Systems and its US partner AEVEX Aerospace debuted the OmniRaider vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) at the 2025 Association of the US Army show, held in Washington, DC, from 13 to 15 October.

As a US version of BlueBird’s ThunderB-VTOL hybrid fixed-wing UAV, the OmniRaidar would be fully manufactured and fielded in the United States by Tampa-based AEVEX Aerospace if selected by the US Army. The UAV represents the latest evolution in Group 3 VTOL UAV platforms from the ThunderB-VTOL family.

The OmniRaider VTOL system gives a maximum take-off weight of 110 lb (49.9 kg) and more than 20 lb (9.07 kg) in multi-payload configuration to support simultaneous missions from one platform. The core strength of the OmniRaider, according to IAI, is its mission-ready flexibility to carry multiple types of payloads. The legacy ThunderB platform was integrated with 11 different payloads to execute multiple distinct missions. These include pairing airborne intelligence using electro-optical/infrared sensors with signals intelligence (SIGINT) payloads, conducting mapping and reconnaissance in parallel or combining intelligence gathering with the ability to offer a strike capability. The system’s smart integration architecture, according to IAI, enables operators to maximise operational output from every sortie, increasing mission effectiveness and flexibility in the field.

The OmniRaider offers a endurance of 12–14 hours and a range of 100 miles (161 km), providing persistent reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition (RSTA) support for brigade-level operations, ensuring survivability in contested environments, while being capable of operations in GPS-denied and electromagnetic interference-compromised airspace.

“The OmniRaider brings a new level of operational flexibility to tactical UAS, combining multi-payload endurance with VTOL agility in a one platform, developed in close partnership with AEVEX,” Boaz Levy, IAI’s president and CEO, was quoted as saying in an IAI press release. “The system is manufactured in the US as part of our strategy to combine advanced Israeli technology with US-based production to meet the evolving needs of allied forces while contributing to local economic growth and job creation that supports the domestic US defence industry.”

Bob Horky, AEVEX’s chief growth officer, added, “AEVEX is proud to bring the OmniRaider to the US Army. This platform offers a unique balance of endurance, payload flexibility and survivability – critical for today’s operational environment. The manufacturing of the OmniRaidar VTOL in America will support jobs in our Tampa-based facility and we look forward to fielding this latest evolution in the Group 3 (DOW) VTOL platforms for the Army Brigade.”

The ThunderB UAV on which the OmniRaider is based is operational, having already been deployed by several different customers worldwide, IAI noted.