Australia’s CorvoX VTOL drone could change how small units scout ahead at AUSA 2025.

Developed under Australia’s DEF129 program, the CorvoX VTOL drone is designed for reconnaissance, surveillance, and communications missions in GPS-limited or contested environments.

At the AUSA 2025 exhibition in Washington, D.C., Corvo UAS, a subsidiary of the Australian SYPAQ Systems, presented the CorvoX, a sub-2-kilogram vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) drone optimized for tactical use where runways are unavailable. The drone features 45 minutes of endurance, a 5-kilometer operational range, and thrust-vectored transition from hover to fixed-wing flight at speeds over 100 kilometers per hour. Its design integrates an encrypted IP mesh network, GNSS, and vision-aided navigation, and STANAG 4609 compliance for NATO interoperability.
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Designed to function autonomously in environments where GPS signals are limited or jammed, the CorvoX drone uses onboard processing and vision-aided navigation to maintain position and control. (Picture source: Army Recognition)

The CorvoX is a small uncrewed aerial system (sUAS) which comes with a thrust-vectored vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) configuration. The aircraft provides 45 minutes of endurance, a range of 5 kilometers, and can transition from hover to a top speed of over 100 kilometers per hour, exceeding 50 knots in level flight. Its design allows flight in winds up to 30 knots and is weather-resistant due to its environmentally sealed construction. The CorvoX is lightweight and man-packable, optimized for tactical environments where runways are unavailable or damaged. Its vertical lift and fixed-wing transition capability combine to provide runway independence, extended mission reach, and increased flexibility across reconnaissance, surveillance, and communication relay tasks.

The CorvoX incorporates an encrypted IP mesh network for data transmission, using CODAN|DTC’s Sentry 6161 mesh radio to maintain secure, low-latency communications. The avionics suite integrates external attitude and heading reference systems (AHRS) and GNSS modules for precise navigation, and it provides output in H.264 or H.265 formats with KLV metadata compliant with MISB standard 107.5. The CorvoX is fully STANAG 4609 compliant, ensuring interoperability of video and metadata streams with NATO-compatible systems. Designed to function autonomously in environments where GPS signals are limited or jammed, the air vehicle uses onboard processing and vision-aided navigation to maintain position and control. The CorvoX’s autonomy reduces the operator’s workload and ensures consistent mission performance in contested environments.

The Corvo Guarda 70-DN payload, developed for integration with the CorvoX, combines electro-optical and long-wave infrared sensors for multi-spectral day and night operations. The EO sensor is a Sony Starvis VC-MIPI JMX412-C camera with a 12.3-megapixel 4K CMOS sensor, 1.55-micrometer pixel pitch, and a 40-frame-per-second rolling shutter, with a resolution of 640 x 480 pixels at a 6.3-degree horizontal field of view for specific target identification. The LWIR component employs a FLIR Boson 640 thermal sensor with 640 x 512 resolution, a 12-micrometer pixel pitch, and a 60-hertz frame rate. Stabilization is provided by a two-axis mechanical system covering roll and tilt, assisted by electronic roll correction and advanced stabilization algorithms for geo-lock, object detection, and moving target tracking. This configuration enables the system to deliver clear, stable imagery suitable for surveillance and reconnaissance in low-visibility or high-turbulence conditions.

Production and supply of the CorvoX take place in Melbourne as part of Australia’s DEF129 small uncrewed aerial system program, launched in mid-2024. Under this four-year contract with the Australian Army, SYPAQ is providing both the fleet of CorvoX systems and a multi-year sustainment package covering spares and operational support. The program incorporates over 90 percent Australian content and has created more than 18 new local industry jobs. It also strengthens Australia’s domestic defense industrial capability by maintaining a closed-loop production and sustainment cycle. SYPAQ’s experience from the Corvo Precision Payload Delivery System, a low-cost disposable cardboard UAS, has been applied to improve manufacturing efficiency, reliability, and logistics for the CorvoX production line. The CorvoX is described as a continuation of SYPAQ’s existing family of uncrewed systems, developed to operate under the specific conditions of Australian defense requirements.

SYPAQ confirmed in March 2025 that CorvoX deliveries to the Australian Defence Force will be completed within the DEF129 framework and that the drone will become export-ready in 2026. The system was announced at the Avalon Australian International Airshow on 25 March 2025 as being prepared for introduction to international markets. The company stated that the program’s success reflects coordinated collaboration between SYPAQ and the Australian Government in developing a sovereign capability in uncrewed systems. Through this program, SYPAQ has strengthened relationships with agencies such as AUSTRADE and the Defence Export Control Office, which previously supported the export of the Corvo Precision Payload Delivery System to multiple European nations. The company’s subsidiary, Bellinger Systems, has also contributed to the integration of tactical datalink technologies, including projects conducted with Leonardo DRS in the United States, increasing compatibility for allied interoperability within frameworks such as AUKUS.

On September 10, 2025, at DSEI London, SYPAQ introduced the export-ready CorvoX to the international market, classifying it as one of the most capable sub-2-kilogram VTOL small uncrewed aerial systems. It was presented as part of the wider Corvo family of autonomous systems, which includes the Corvo Nano, Corvo Alto, and Corvo Precision Payload Delivery System lines. These systems share common ground control and mission management software, streamlining training and operational integration. Engineering and manufacturing are based at SYPAQ’s Defence Autonomy Centre of Excellence in Port Melbourne, which consolidates the company’s work in guidance, navigation and control, sensor systems, software integration, and systems engineering. The CorvoX has been developed entirely in-house and forms part of SYPAQ’s effort to maintain a sovereign and resilient supply chain for the Australian defense.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.