Hybrid drone from Switzerland: Xer Technologies on its long-endurance multicopter

At “DroneVation & Defence 2026” in Vienna, the Swiss company Xer Technologies presented a hybrid drone: a multicopter for long-endurance missions. The company develops unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for industrial, security and defence applications. An interview with Waldemar Schäfer, technical director of Xer Technologies.

Mr Schäfer, what is special about your product?
We are presenting a hybrid multicopter for long-endurance missions. The drone is powered by a two-stroke engine that generates electrical energy during flight. This gives it flight times of two and a half to three hours with a payload of seven kilograms. That is the decisive difference from purely electric multicopters, whose flight time is often not sufficient to monitor larger areas of operation continuously.

What applications is the system intended for?
In the civilian sector, we mainly use the drone to inspect power lines or to detect gas emissions. In the military sector, the focus is on electronic warfare, that is, the detection and classification of radio signals, as well as optical reconnaissance.

What capabilities does the drone have?
The system on display is equipped with a direction finder. This allows radios or radio signals to be detected and located. A camera can then zoom in on the target and identify it optically. In this way, targets can be reconnoitred from a distance of 20 to 30 kilometres. The information obtained can then be passed on to effectors, that is, weapon systems. That is classic aerial reconnaissance.

Let us come back to the hybrid propulsion. What advantages does it offer over purely electric drones?
The flight time of purely electric drones is usually limited to 30 to 40 minutes. With our hybrid drone, you can first fly around 20 minutes to the area of operations, carry out reconnaissance there for one and a half to two hours and then return. After landing, there is no need to change or transport batteries. You simply refuel and can take off again immediately. Until now, many of these reconnaissance tasks have been carried out by aircraft or helicopters. However, the war in Ukraine shows that manned aircraft can only be used to a limited extent in many scenarios. Our aim is to provide comparable capabilities in a much more compact multicopter that is easier to operate.

How loud is the drone in operation?
Of course it has an acoustic signature. You can hear it. There are variants with special silencers, but multicopters with propellers always generate noise. This also applies to many other drone systems, such as long-range drones like the Iranian Shahed systems. Our approach is therefore not to be as inaudible as possible. The drone is meant to reconnoitre targets from a safe distance, capture radio signals and identify signal clusters. The information obtained is analysed and can then be passed on to effectors.

How is defence technology developing in Switzerland?
In principle, there are good initiatives in Switzerland. It has been recognised that defence technology today has to be developed differently from traditional procurement projects. In the past, requirements were defined and a finished system was then procured. Today, technological developments move much faster. As a result, more and more test fields and trial environments are being created in which new technologies can be tested together with the future users. How these initiatives develop will become clear in the coming years. In our view, things are moving in the right direction.

How do you test your systems? Countries such as Ukraine or Israel gather their experience under real operational conditions. Manufacturers in Central Europe do not have this opportunity.
We have our own test site. In addition, we regularly take part in military exercises. Because drone technologies are currently developing very quickly, these exercises are not only about testing the systems. It is just as important to trial, together with the future users, how such systems can be meaningfully integrated into existing operational concepts. This year, for example, we will take part in the exercise REPMUS, organised by the Portuguese Navy together with NATO partners. There and at other exercises, we can test our systems directly in interaction with the users.

Is this your first time exhibiting at a trade fair in Austria?
Yes. Until now, our focus has mainly been on the civilian market. Thanks to our partners and the increased demand in the defence sector, we are now increasingly represented at specialist trade fairs such as this one.