Odys Aviation and ST Engineering Sign MOU to Advance Hybrid-Electric Propulsion for the DrN-600 Medium-Lift Cargo UAS

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Odys Aviation and ST Engineering Sign MOU to Advance Hybrid-Electric Propulsion for the DrN-600 Medium-Lift Cargo UAS

2026-07-23 01:06 Last Updated At：01:11

LONG BEACH, Calif. & SINGAPORE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 22, 2026--

Odys Aviation, a dual-use aerospace company building long-range, hybrid-electric aircraft and proprietary Hybrid Power Systems, and the Commercial Aerospace business of ST Engineering, a global technology, defense and engineering group, today announced they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to develop a hybrid-electric power system for ST Engineering's DrN-600 medium-lift cargo unmanned aircraft system (UAS), working toward a Master Development Agreement under which Odys will supply the system.

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Under the MOU, the parties intend to enter a Definitive Agreement under which Odys will serve as the hybrid architecture developer, initial prototype supplier, and scaled production partner for future tentative demands under the DrN-600 EHPS program. As a first step, the companies will validate the system's technical and commercial parameters.

The program will integrate Odys' proprietary Hybrid Power System, currently available in outputs ranging from 20 kW to 4 MW, into ST Engineering's DrN-600, a medium-lift cargo UAS designed to transport up to 100 kg of cargo, to extend its range beyond 300km. Odys will lead evaluation of the power system architecture, weight and volume optimization, total cost of ownership, and a development roadmap designed to accelerate the path to production.

The MOU also sets out further avenues for collaboration to integrate ST Engineering's Ground Control Station capabilities with Odys' unmanned platforms, expanding the potential scope of the partnership across both propulsion and mission systems.

“For five years, our team has designed, built, and flown proprietary Hybrid Power Systems that deliver range and endurance others can't match,” said James Dorris, CEO of Odys Aviation. “This agreement is a milestone: for the first time, we're bringing that proven propulsion technology to a partner's aerial platform. ST Engineering is a world leader in aerospace and unmanned systems, and their confidence in Odys validates what we've believed from the start, that our Hybrid Power System is a category-defining capability in its own right.”

“The DrN-600 is a high-performance, innovative UAS platform designed to reliably transport heavier payloads to remote areas over longer distances,” said Teong Soo Soon, SVP & Head, Unmanned Air Systems at ST Engineering’s Commercial Aerospace business. “As we continue to bring it to market and expand its practical use cases, it is important that we work with the right partner to enhance its capabilities in a focused and meaningful way. Hybrid-electric propulsion is one pathway to further strengthen the DrN-600’s flexibility, endurance and operational relevance.”

Odys Hybrid Power System: Proven Across the Power Spectrum

Odys' proprietary Hybrid Power System is engineered to deliver reliable, high-density power across a wide performance envelope, from 20 kW to more than 4 MW. Built on five years of flight-proven experience, the system combines the endurance and power output required for the most demanding missions with a modular architecture adaptable to a broad range of aircraft, defense, and energy applications.

For heavy-lift unmanned logistics, hybrid-electric power offers a compelling combination of extended range, multi-hour endurance, and reduced operating costs relative to conventional propulsion, enabling operators to move critical cargo farther and more efficiently across the environments where it matters most.

ST Engineering’s DrN-600 Medium-lift Cargo UAS: Built for Versatility, Scalability and Heavier Payloads

The DrN-600 is ST Engineering’s medium-lift cargo UAS and part of its DroNet solution, designed to address key barriers for scaling up of commercialized operations, including mission autonomy, regulatory compliance and viable unit economics. With a maximum take-off mass of under 600 kg, it is capable of carrying up to 100 kg in a large cargo compartment that supports various standard pallet sizes. The DrN-600 is engineered to maximize performance within global regulatory frameworks, building on operational experience accumulated since 2018 through smaller UAS platforms. Certification of the DrN-600 is targeted for completion by 2028. Meanwhile, operational prototype trials will be conducted with prospective customers in parallel to gather user feedback.

About Odys Aviation

Odys Aviation designs, develops and manufactures long-range, technologically advanced dual-use aircraft and proprietary Hybrid Power Systems that solve global challenges across defense, logistics, energy, and passenger travel. Its aircraft deliver an optimal balance of range and payload, while its hybrid power platform provides high-density power from 20 kW to 4 MW for customers across aerospace, defense, and energy applications.

Based in Long Beach, CA, Odys Aviation was launched in 2021 and is led by seasoned engineers and strategists from SpaceX, Airbus, Tesla and the U.S. Department of Defense. To date, the company has over $165M in firm aircraft orders and $11B+ in signed provisional orders. Learn more at www.odysaviation.com.

About ST Engineering

ST Engineering is a global technology, defense and engineering group with a diverse portfolio of businesses across the aerospace, smart city, defense and public security segments. The Group harnesses technology and innovation to solve real-world problems, enabling a more secure and sustainable world. Headquartered in Singapore, it has operations spanning Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the U.S., serving customers in more than 100 countries. ST Engineering reported revenue of over $12b in 2025 and ranks among the largest companies listed on the Singapore Exchange. It is a component stock of MSCI Singapore, FTSE Straits Times Index and Dow Jones Best-in-Class Asia Pacific Index. Learn more at www.stengg.com.

Trump pays respects to 4 US service members killed in the Middle East

DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. (AP) — President Donald Trump on Wednesday honored the lives of four U.S. service members who were killed in the Middle East and returned to their families at an air force base in Delaware.

The president saluted as four transfer cases were escorted off an airplane during the dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base. The ritual is one of the most somber duties of a commander-in-chief. It was the third Trump has attended since he launched the war in Iran in February.

Trump was scheduled to meet privately with the grieving families. Speaking to reporters on his way to Dover, Trump called the ritual “one of the hardest things to do as a president.” His message to the families, he said, was, “We love you. We love your child.”

“There’s no games, there’s no nothing — that’s their child,” Trump said. “And all you can do is throw out your heart.”

Trump was accompanied by administration officials including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Also present were Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., and Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del.

During the ritual, transfer cases draped with the American flag and holding the remains of the fallen soldiers are carried from the military aircraft that transported them to awaiting vehicles to take them to the mortuary facility at the base. There, the service members are prepared for their final resting place.

Two U.S. Army soldiers killed in Iranian missile and drone attacks in Jordan were returned during the dignified transfer. The remains of a third service member who is believed to be the soldier missing after the Jordan attacks was also returned, as well as the remains of a soldier killed in Iraq during a detonation of an Iranian drone.

The soldiers killed in Jordan were identified by the Defense Department as Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii; and Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Carrollton, Texas. The soldier who disappeared after the Jordan attacks is Angel S. Rampersad, 28, of Ozone Park, New York, the Defense Department said.

The soldier killed in Iraq was identified as Michael Emmanuel Swinton, 30, who lived in Spring Lake, North Carolina.

The White House said Feehan's family would be joining on Air Force One later on Wednesday as Trump travels to Georgia for an event promoting his administration's investment accounts for children.

Trump previously said the soldiers died while protecting America and other nations from Iran.

“We feel very badly, but you know, those great people, those great patriots were out there fighting so that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon,” Trump told reporters on Sunday. He added that the U.S. was striking Iran “in honor” of the fallen troops.

The U.S. has launched multiple retaliatory strikes against Iran as an interim agreement to end the war falls apart. Trump on Monday said that every time Iran kills an American soldier, “they will pay for that killing many times over!”

Since the war began on Feb. 28, 18 U.S. service members have been killed.

Trump on Tuesday said that while almost all the incoming fire in Jordan was stopped, some made it through.

“They did slip something through in Jordan,” he said. “If we had other operators, you know, it would have not happened, unfortunately.”

He went on: “We’ve stopped almost everything, but when you let other people do your job with the United States — we let other people do the job — and sometimes it doesn’t work out so well.”

Trump did not elaborate on his comments, and it was not immediately clear who he was saying was responsible for protecting U.S. forces in Jordan.

Trump attended two previous dignified transfers since the outset of the war, most recently in March.

Feehan, a first lieutenant who was killed Saturday, will be posthumously promoted to the rank of captain and awarded the Bronze Star, Purple Heart and Combat Action Badge. He was assigned out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to the 32nd Army Air and Missile Defense Command.

Feehan’s family said in a statement that their hearts were shattered by his loss. They remembered Feehan, who went by “Tivo,” as someone who “packed in more living” in his 25 years than most do in a lifetime.

“He chased adventure relentlessly,” the statement said. “He believed deeply in the power of military service, especially what it builds in a person: discipline, leadership, character.”

He planned to marry his fiance and attend law school after his deployment. The family said they’re starting a scholarship in his name.

Gonzales, who was killed Friday, was a private with the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command in Ansbach, Germany. She graduated last year from Hebron High School in Carrollton, near Dallas, school officials said.

Rampersad, a sergeant who was believed to have been killed in Friday's attacks, was assigned to the 57th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 52nd Air Defense Artillery Brigade, 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command in Ansbach, Germany.

Swinton, a sergeant who was killed Sunday, will receive a Bronze Star, Purple Heart and Combat Action Badge, and will be promoted to staff sergeant. He enlisted in the Army in 2017 and was assigned to the 55th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 108th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Binkley reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Michael Catalini contributed from Morrisville, Pennsylvania.