KTEK Aerosystems (ASX: KTK) Wins Vestal UAV Prototype Contract

KTEK Aerosystems has secured a US$172,500 contract to develop and manufacture two prototype airframe structures for Vestal Technology.

The binding agreement covers structural design, engineering, tooling, analysis and composite manufacturing for Vestal’s SCOOPER 25 unmanned aerial system. The contract price excludes taxes, duties, shipping and customer-site expenses.

Revenue will be recognised progressively as KTEK completes agreed engineering, tooling and prototype milestones.

From Design to Prototype

KTEK will advance the SCOOPER 25’s structural design to a stage suitable for prototype manufacturing. It will also manufacture prototype tooling and complete static structural analysis.

The final deliverables are two composite prototype airframe structures. Vestal’s aircraft has a maximum take-off mass of up to 25 kilograms.

The first prototype is targeted for completion within five months of project commencement. The second is scheduled approximately one month later.

However, those timelines depend on timely customer inputs, a configuration freeze and supplier availability. Payments are linked to the order, tooling and prototype-completion milestones.

Founder and Managing Director Dekel Keisar said: “This contract is a strong example of KTEK's full-turnkey model. We are bringing together our structural engineering, composite design, tooling and manufacturing capabilities to help take the SCOOPER 25 from preliminary design into physical prototypes.”

What the Contract Shows

The agreement adds Vestal as a customer and places several KTEK capabilities within one program. These include non-recurring engineering, tooling and prototype manufacturing.

That structure reflects KTEK’s design-to-build strategy. Customer programs can begin in development, then move through prototyping and qualification toward serial production and spares.

KTEK retains engineering design, structural analysis, program management and quality assurance internally. It uses a certified international manufacturing partner network for production under its asset-light “Cordless Factory” model.

This approach is intended to support production scaling without the capital requirements of a traditional Tier-1 aerospace manufacturer. The Vestal work currently remains a limited prototype contract.

Scope Ends at Two Airframes

KTEK stressed that the agreement does not guarantee further orders. Any follow-on manufacturing depends on successful prototype development, Vestal’s requirements and a separate commercial agreement.

That distinction limits the current contracted opportunity to two prototype airframes and the associated development work. KTEK will update the market if material follow-on orders emerge.

Vestal is an Israel-based developer of electric unmanned aerial systems. Its patented SCOOP wing architecture targets high lift at low speeds and extreme short take-off and landing operations.

Vestal also says the design supports extended endurance with low acoustic and thermal signatures. Its target applications include defence, surveillance, mapping and infrastructure monitoring.

Work Begins With Configuration Review

The companies will now mobilise the project and confirm the aircraft configuration and design-load basis. KTEK will then commence the agreed engineering and tooling work.

Delivery of the two prototypes is the immediate commercial focus. Any progression beyond that stage will require another agreement.