Thread by @elisabethmalom1

🧵Latest: #Portugal's drone manufacturer Tekever has confirmed to me that it will provide some of its long-endurance systems to Kyiv to support land and maritime operations, a move bankrolled by the UK's International Fund for #Ukraine.
defensenews.com/unmanned/2023/…

2. This week British MoD shared video on social media showcasing military equipment being provided by the IFU to Ukrainians. Launched last summer, first IFU deliveries — funded by Denmark, Iceland, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands & the UK— will begin to arrive in July.

3. OSINT analysts were quick to identify what seems to be Malloy T150s manufactured by British company Malloy Aeronautics, the DeltaQuad Pro VTOL drone produced by Dutch firm DeltaQuad, & Astero ISR UAV from Denmark’s Nordic Wing. UK MoD declined to comment on specific platforms

4. Two other unspecified drone models can be seen in the footage, with one shown taking off vertically and launched via catapult. Defense News can, however, confirm that one of the two unidentified drones is the Tekever AR3 VTOL system, produced by the Lisbon-based firm Tekever.

5. Company rep said "Yes, our Tekever AR3 system is depicted in the video. It includes images of the drone being deployed with support of a catapult — which we can use for extended endurance operations up to 16 hours — and in an optional VTOL configuration."

6. Tekever’s CEO and founder, Ricardo Mendes, added that the company is “very proud to support #Ukraine and thankful to the #UK MoD and IFU for allowing us to contribute to one of the most important causes of our lifetime.”

7. The AR3 is a small, long-endurance drone designed to provide wide-area surveillance for both land and maritime missions. It has a maximum payload capacity of 4 kilograms (9 pounds), can fly at a cruise speed of 75-90 kph (47-56 mph) and can also be recovered via parachute.

8. The #Portuguese and Nigerian armed forces are the only AR3 operators worldwide. Hence, its label in the footage, NAF 167 (an acronym used for the Nigerian Air Force), raised the question as to whether the drones were purchased from Portugal, #Nigeria or both.

9. “I can confirm that Nigeria purchased a # of the Tekever AR3s from Tekever of Portugal. But all the UAVs acquired are currently operating in #Nigeria none have been donated in any way or form to #Ukraine or any other country,” - rep from Nigerian High Commission in UK said

10. Added that the UAV shown w/ NAF 167 label, which does stand for Nigerian Air Force, “must have been provided by producer/ or clip used in the said tweet might have come from the company’s promotional videos, as the model with that particular # is presently in use in Nigeria.”

11. The second IFU procurement, referred to as Urgent Bidding Round 2, launched on April 11. The first capability package resulting from that second round was announced earlier this week and will include a $188 million air defense package.

12. Capabilities requested include sensors to detect and track cruise missiles, low-flying drones and/or ballistic missiles, air burst rounds for cannon-based air defense systems, and sensor-guided air defense cannons to defeat low-flying drones and cruise missiles.

13. A press officer for #Sweden’s defense minister, noted much of the IFU account is unspent, and that some companies either do not go public with related contracts or that not all contracts are yet signed, but that “more packages are on the way.”

14. In terms of how the fund operates, a strategic adviser w/ Lithuania's MoD said that defense ministries contribute only with financial resources. Then, an international public tender is organized for specific military equipment, and all 7 countries’ companies can participate.

15. Official however noted that, "so far, #Lithuanian drones are being sent to Ukraine in other formats."