It is being developed for countries like Ukraine, Greece, Poland, and Lithuania, where armed forces seek cost-effective and survivable platforms.
Airvolve plans to build a full-scale prototype this year to demonstrate its potential to European defense partners.
Airvolve CEO Donatas Gendvilas told AIN that recent combat scenarios and disaster events have highlighted the need for new aircraft types.
The evacuation of Ukrainian forces from Mariupol and wildfires around the Mediterranean showed that helicopters are vulnerable and expensive.
“Some of our partners now say helicopters are history,” Gendvilas said. He added that cheap, shoulder-fired missiles can take down many helicopters.