Aimed on the defence market, the R66 based mostly UAS will probably be built-in with Skyryse’s SkyOS software program to allow autonomous intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T), and air-launched results (ALE) missions.
Introduced on Jun. 24, 2026, the partnership between Skyryse and Robinson – each based mostly in Southern California inside 30 miles of one another – goals to hyperlink Robinson’s expertise with massive scale, time vital manufacturing to Skyryse’s rising experience in superior flight automation software program.
“Protection businesses want autonomous plane which can be dependable, reasonably priced and accessible now, not years from now,” mentioned Skyryse Founder and CEO Mark Groden. “Robinson provides us the manufacturing infrastructure to ship at scale and at a value level that meets real-world, time-critical wants. This partnership accelerates our capacity to place confirmed, SkyOS-powered autonomous plane into the palms of protection operators.”
“Manufacturing the SkyOS-powered, R66-based 4 UAS is a pure extension of what Robinson does finest – producing dependable, high-quality plane at scale,” mentioned David Smith, President and CEO of Robinson Helicopter Firm. “By integrating SkyOS into Robinson’s manufacturing ecosystem, we’re serving to deliver superior autonomy to a confirmed plane platform whereas making a scalable pathway for future operational capabilities.”
The team-up will deal with the event of a rotary wing uncrewed aerial system (RWUAS) variant of the Robinson R66, a turbine powered growth of the sooner piston powered, and extremely in style, R44. Robinson has the theoretical capability to supply 1,000+ plane per yr – averaging round three per day – although the corporate has settled their common operations at round 300 per yr. The R66 normally represents round a 3rd of this manufacturing determine.
Although primarily focused on the civilian market, the R66 has attracted curiosity from army clients. Most notably, the R66 is now used to coach U.S. army pilots by the U.S. Navy’s Contractor Operated Pilot Coaching – Rotary (COPT-R) program, for which it was given the designation TH-66 Sage. The R66 has additionally been put ahead as an possibility for the U.S. Military’s subsequent helicopter coach.
This won’t be Skyryse’s solely expertise with the R66 platform. The corporate already presents its SkyOS avionics as a retrofit possibility for R66 clients. Skyryse calls the ensuing product the Skyryse One. Not like the bottom mannequin R66, the Skyryse One options fly-by-wire controls (with triple redundancies). Skyryse says their system permits pilots of all talent ranges to securely get behind the controls, claiming that Skyryse One is the ‘most secure helicopter in aviation’.
Equally, Robinson’s UAS division – Robinson Unmanned – has already in 2026 introduced a partnership with Sikorsky to supply a utility-focused RWUAS variant of the R66 referred to as TURBINETRUCK.
Not like the Sikorsky providing of a cargo drone for civilian and army features, Skyryse’s ambition seems to take intention on the rising marketplace for RWUAS as an ISR and weapons/launched results platform. On this regard, it will be nearer to plane just like the MQ-8 Hearth Scout or Leonardo’s Proteus.
Skyryse
Aviation start-up Skyryse was based in 2016, and has since secured partnerships with the California Division of Forestry and Hearth Safety (CalFire), Mitsubishi Company, United Rotorcraft, and the U.S. Military. Over $605 million has been injected into the enterprise by quite a lot of traders, together with Invoice Ford of Ford Motors, and the Qatar Funding Authority.
California-based @skyryse mentioned Thursday that it plans to introduce a common emergency autoland functionality for all plane—each fixed-wing and rotorcraft—that prompts with a single faucet on a touchscreen. pic.twitter.com/KpqSC5UOZg
— FLYING Journal (@FlyingMagazine) March 6, 2026
Its SkyOS platform is designed to be adaptable for any plane sort, together with each mounted wing plane and helicopters. Aiming for elevated security, SkyOS options an automated engine failure administration system, air restart, and always-on flight envelope protections. Its automation capabilities embrace touchscreen controls for engine startup and automatic take-off and touchdown.
A single flight management stick replaces the standard joystick, cyclic, and rudder pedals of a helicopter – the system’s software program is designed to interpret the pilot’s inputs and function the plane accordingly. After all, this implies adaptation of a SkyOS-equipped plane into an uncrewed platform could be comparatively easy, as the entire programming for bodily controlling the plane is already in place.
ICYMI: We not too long ago had @MarkGroden, CEO of @skyryse on Valley of Depth.
Skyryse is constructing a common OS for plane to dramatically simplify flight, scale back pilot burden, and allow absolutely autonomous operations when wanted.
The aim: flip helicopters and airplanes into… pic.twitter.com/XuzHZXIVtq
— Mo Islam (@itsmoislam) June 2, 2026
For army clients, though in lots of instances pilots will point out a choice for extra direct management of an plane and a capability to override laptop methods the place crucial, a sophisticated autopilot system like SkyOS would have highly effective functions in lowering the workload of pilots in excessive depth environments. A pilot who can depend upon the plane to maintain itself flying secure is a pilot who can concurrently function and direct different methods, be they weapons, ISR sensors, or drones.
Honored to host U.S. Military leaders at Skyryse for a firsthand take a look at SkyOS.
We had productive discussions concerning the position of aviation automation in growing mission effectiveness, reliability, and operational flexibility throughout the fashionable battlefield.
The go to included an… pic.twitter.com/XWU1B2vLm9
— Skyryse (@skyryse) June 18, 2026
In 2025, Skyryse demonstrated the flight of a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter that had been configured with the SkyOS system. This can little question be a key a part of any future collaboration with the aforementioned companions CalFire and the U.S. Military.
SkyOS has additionally been built-in on a Robinson R44, which was trialed by legislation enforcement businesses. A Cirrus SR-22 grew to become the primary mounted wing SkyOS plane in October 2025. Plans are in place for future integration onto the Pilatus PC-12, in addition to Bell 407, Airbus H-125, and H-130 helicopters.
