Grille drone: Steyr Motors generators secure the power supply for Avilus

How the Grille drone is supplied with power on the ground is governed by a cooperation between Steyr Motors AG and Avilus, a drone specialist from Germany. The powerful generators that Steyr Motors supplies with its M12 Power Unit (M12PU) are an integral part of this ground-based supply for the unmanned aircraft system. The units are designed for efficient flight operations with high operational availability.

Evacuation and resupply from the air

The Grille 9X was developed by Avilus – an aircraft system that flies all-electric and operates autonomously. It is intended above all for evacuating casualties and carrying out resupply and logistics missions under demanding conditions.

The system carries patients and critical supplies with a payload of up to 175 kilograms. Its range is 51 kilometres and its cruising speed 86 kilometres per hour.

The Grille is to achieve a high level of operational safety through redundant propulsion systems, jam-resistant navigation and an integrated rescue system. Two people need less than 15 minutes to make the system ready for operation.

Another notable feature is the interchangeable battery system: a battery change takes just one minute.

The Grille drone flies, the next battery charges

At the heart of the cooperation is a high-performance energy solution that can be used flexibly in military field operations. While the Grille is on a flight mission, the M12PU is already charging a second battery set in parallel.

After landing, the batteries can be swapped immediately, so that the drone system is ready again after a short time. Each flight consumes around 15 litres of diesel.

The M12PU is distinguished by its high power density. The entire power supply fits into a 20-foot ISO container and can be expanded modularly, depending on how much energy is required.

Field-tested with the Bundeswehr

Steyr Motors’ generators are already being used extensively in flight trials and exercises of the Bundeswehr (the German Armed Forces).

The most recent milestone is the successful completion of ExpS Land. At a demonstration there, the Grille system was also presented to Boris Pistorius, the German Minister of Defence.

Within the overall Grille system, the M12PU plays a central role: on the ground, it supplies the energy to charge the battery packs, thus helping to ensure that flight operations can resume quickly.

Potential for counter-UAS as well

The cooperation with Avilus makes clear that Steyr Motors’ generator technology can do more than conventional propulsion tasks. Compact generators with high power density are becoming increasingly important, especially for modern military systems.

Steyr Motors CEO Julian Cassutti commented: “The cooperation with Avilus is a prime example of how our expertise in developing powerful and reliable energy solutions can be combined with innovative drone technology. Together, we are creating a flexible solution that meets the particular requirements of military operations and significantly supports the operational capability of the Grille system.”

For Avilus, CEO Niclas Bähr added: “A high-performance power supply on the ground is crucial for the operational use of our Grille. As part of the cooperation, the Steyr Motors generators allow us to charge the batteries for the next flight while missions are still under way, thus ensuring largely uninterrupted operational readiness of our system.”

Steyr Motors also sees great potential for the newly developed power generator in other applications, such as drone systems and counter-UAS.