Under the MoU, Quickstep is expected to deliver engineering and manufacturing services to enable the accelerated manufacture of DRONAMICS’ Black Swan cargo drones.

The companies are expected to enter into binding agreements for a prototype (Phase 1) by 31 October, with the first aircraft hoping to be delivered during 2023.

The agreement is expected to also include a long-term plan, outlining the increased production in aircraft over the next four years.

According to a release by Quickstep, Dronamics has become the first cargo drone company to receive a European drone airline license. It is hoping to launch commercial operations in Europe by the end of 2022, and in Australia from 2023.

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“Quickstep shares Dronamics’ passion for innovation and this is an exciting partnership. We are delighted to be taking their Black Swan aircraft from prototype to production,” Mark Burgess, chief executive officer of Quickstep, said.

“The Dronamics solution could well revolutionise the middle-mile cargo delivery sector and this partnership gives Quickstep the opportunity to provide our engineering and manufacturing expertise into delivering a large, sophisticated cargo drone. This is also a great opportunity to advance the Australian aerospace sector, something we are very passionate about.”

Konstantin Rangelov, co-founder and chief technology officer of Dronamics, welcomed the milestone.

“The first strategic manufacturing partnership is a key milestone in our mission to enable same-day delivery for everyone, everywhere,” Rangelov said.

“As an innovator who is challenging the status quo in cargo mobility, we are thrilled to have the support of an experienced partner like Quickstep to help us realise the full potential of our solution.”

[Related: Defence co-funds hypersonics project led by Quickstep, DMTC]