Unmanned helicopters from Greece: exclusive interview with Velos Rotors

The systems developed by Greek company Velos Rotors, originally designed for civil and commercial use, have also proven useful in a military context. Velos Rotors quickly earned a national reputation as an active participant in various national military exercises (such as “Aisios Oionos” 2025) alongside the armed forces to test defence capabilities.

In an exclusive interview with the founder and CEO of Velos Rotors, Aris Kolokythas, we talked about the unmanned helicopters developed by his company, the unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) industry in Greece, the state of the sector at the time Velos Rotors was founded, and the company’s future plans with regard to Cyprus.

Mr Kolokythas, in which year was Velos Rotors founded? When does the story of Velos Rotors begin, and who is behind it?
Velos was founded in 2014. However, the story of Velos Rotors began as early as 2011, when I started developing an unmanned helicopter. I was able to combine my passion for small-scale helicopters with knowledge in the fields of mechanics and electronics in order to develop the first fully electric, fully redundant and extremely reliable unmanned helicopter in the 25-kilogram class.

What was the situation in the Greek UAV industry when you started your business?
When Velos started its business, the Greek UAV industry was still very small. Velos Rotors therefore focused on international sales from the very beginning, with our first customers based in the USA. We do not carry out flight operations and do not offer aerial imaging services. The company focuses exclusively on the design, development and manufacture of unmanned helicopters. We offer training, customisation and payload integration. We also offer technical support and have extensive expertise in integrating various payloads such as LiDARs, magnetometers, cameras and gimbals. Overall, the company focuses on selling ready-to-use solutions – a combination of the Velos helicopter and the optimal payload for each project.

In your opinion, how developed is this industry in Greece today, in 2026 – particularly the field of military UAVs?
In recent years, Greece has invested massively in the UAV industry, particularly in the defence sector. The Greek Army is actively looking for unmanned solutions and is evaluating numerous systems in military exercises in which Velos Rotors participates. There is also a Greek organisation (HCDI) that supports Greek start-ups with dual-use systems and accelerates their growth.

Tell us more about the Velos UAV. What significance did it have at the time of its market launch, and why was it regarded as a major innovation?
The Velos UAV was the first fully redundant, electrically powered unmanned helicopter with a patented dual-gearbox design. Helicopters are by nature far more efficient and capable than quads and multicopters. Velos Rotors has made their operation extremely simple and reliable. Velos aircraft can complete thousands of flight hours with minimal maintenance, whereas with other manufacturers the aircraft’s entire motor has to be replaced after less than 100 hours. Since all critical components are duplicated on board Velos aircraft, these components operate at only 50 per cent of their maximum capacity, which makes the aircraft exceptionally reliable.

Next came the Velos V2 and Velos V3 models. What did they mean for the company, its turnover and its external partnerships – and not least for domestic competition and the competitive landscape in the Greek market?
The Velos V2 and V3 models took the solid and proven Velos UAV to the next level. Velos Rotors pays very close attention to customer feedback, feature requests and data from aircraft that have already completed many flight hours. By combining this data, we make progress and can take our helicopter technology to the next level, such as the POR system (Payload Over Rotor) on the Velos V3, which allows an active payload to be mounted above the aircraft’s rotating main rotor. Sales figures have risen year after year. Velos Rotors is always open to worldwide partnerships, and currently 90 per cent of our sales and cooperations take place outside Greece. Greece is a small country with around ten million inhabitants, and commercial demand is not yet high enough – the defence market, however, is growing very quickly.

According to publicly available information, the Velos V3 D-Fend and the V-Twin serve military – or predominantly military – purposes. Could you tell us more about them?
Last year we introduced the D-Fend aircraft series. It is based on the Velos V3 and the twin-rotor V-Twin, but is equipped with the modules and electronics required for defence applications. This approach allows us to offer both affordable aircraft for civil applications and high-performance aircraft with state-of-the-art defence equipment for military operations. We keep the cost of our civil aircraft at a very affordable level by dispensing with unnecessary equipment. The D-Fend aircraft, on the other hand, we equip with high-end electronics, such as navigation functions for operations without GPS, encrypted data transmission and satellite communications.

Who are Velos Rotors’ most important partners and customers, and to which countries do you export the most?
Velos Rotors’ most important customers and partners are either aviation service providers who use our systems for various operations, or dealers who resell our systems in other countries. Currently, as mentioned, 90 per cent of our systems are exported to countries such as England, Germany, Austria, Romania, the Czech Republic, Norway and Sweden. We also export to the USA, Canada, Australia, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, South Korea, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Greece and Cyprus share a special relationship based on a common history, language, culture and identity. What is the company’s relationship with Cyprus and with Cypriot companies? To what extent are you represented there?
We have very good relations with Cyprus and many friends there. We are very open to cooperation and partnerships, but do not yet have a physical presence there. In the near future, however, we aim to establish one on the island.