Finnish Patria, Sweden’s ACC Innovation to Develop Military Variant of World’s Largest Quadcopter Drone

Finnish defense company Patria and Sweden’s ACC Innovation have signed a cooperation agreement to develop a military version of the Thunderwasp GT quadcopter drone, currently recognized as the world’s largest in its class.

The agreement, aimed at supporting a European NATO member state, will see both companies combine expertise in drone manufacturing and military integration. In its first phase, the partnership focuses on the militarization of ACC Innovation’s Thunderwasp GT, a heavy-lift quadcopter drone with a maximum take-off weight of around 800 kilograms.

The Thunderwasp GT is powered by a PBS TS100 turboshaft engine and is designed for both aerial lifting and surveillance operations. It can carry payloads up to 390 kilograms and is optimized for medium to heavy lift tasks. According to ACC Innovation, the drone’s long endurance and load-carrying capacity make it a strong candidate for future logistics and defense missions.

ACC Innovation previously gained recognition in the United Kingdom when the Thunderwasp became the first drone platform to achieve the Ministry of Defence’s MVP (Most Viable Product) status under the UAS HLC2-Lot 1 Heavy Lift Challenge program. The milestone was confirmed by third-party testing and evaluation.

The new military variant is expected to be tailored to NATO operational standards, including enhanced payload integration, secure communications systems, and mission-specific configurations.

No timeline has yet been announced for the prototype or production phase.