Thunderstrike Aviation has inaugurated a major European UAV production facility at Hans Christian Andersen (HCA) Airport in Denmark.
The new hangar will initially be used for the development and testing of the company’s UAV technology. An expansion and opening of a production facility on site is planned by the end of 2025.
It is hoped that once the facility is operational, it will produce 200 to 300 platforms per year.
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HCA Airport in Odense is already home to the UAS Denmark test center. Michael Larsen, head of the test center, said the expansion of the site to include the Thunderstrike facility “further cemented the area’s position as a leading center for advanced drone technology and was an important addition to the drone ecosystem at HCA Airport.”
The presence of the test center means that Odense is already known for its strong robotics and UAS ecosystem. The new production facility with an area of 3,000 m2 (9800 feet2 ), is expected to employ about 30–50 people and produce 200–300 UAVs annually.
At the opening of the facility, two versions of Thunderstrike’s Fantom MK2 drone were on display – a fixed-wing model and one with VTOL capabilities. The Fantom MK2 is multifunctional and is used for military surveillance, border patrol and civil protection. It has a flight endurance of more than 30 hours and a maximum range of 3,000 km with a payload of up to 45 kg.
The increase in Thunderstrike’s European production capacity is in line with the international defence industry’s understanding of the need to increase drone production as they evolve into a fundamental border defence system critical to the outcome of several conflicts around the world, including in Ukraine.
