Patria and ACC Innovation Join Forces to Build Heavy Military Drones for NATO

Finnish defence company Patria and Swedish technology firm ACC Innovation have announced a new partnership to develop advanced military drones for a NATO member country. This collaboration marks a major milestone in the use of heavy quadcopter drones for military purposes, as both companies aim to strengthen NATO’s aerial capabilities with cutting-edge technology.

Thunder Wasp GT: A Heavy-Lift Military Drone in the Making

At the heart of this collaboration is ACC Innovation's Thunder Wasp GT quadcopter, which will be converted into a military-grade drone. The Thunder Wasp GT is a large, high-performance quadcopter drone with a maximum take-off weight (MTOW) of around 800 kilograms — making it one of the heaviest drones in its category.

Once militarized, this drone is expected to be capable of carrying heavy payloads, advanced surveillance equipment, and potentially even combat gear for specialized operations. The drone’s strong lifting capacity makes it ideal for transporting supplies, sensors, and other critical equipment to frontline units in difficult and dangerous environments.

Advanced Features for Modern Battlefield Needs

Patria will play a key role in enhancing the Thunder Wasp GT with intelligent systems specifically designed for military missions. This includes:

• Autonomous navigation in harsh and GPS-denied environments

• Encrypted communication systems for secure data transfer

• Advanced payload management for various mission needs

• Real-time surveillance and reconnaissance systems

• Operational resilience in arctic and extreme weather conditions

These upgrades will ensure that the drone remains effective and reliable, even during complex military operations in the tough Nordic and European environments where NATO forces often train and operate.

A Strong Partnership for NATO’s Future

Both companies have expressed enthusiasm for this partnership. Mikko Leino, Executive Vice President of Operations at Patria, said that their rich experience in defence research and drone system integration will help create an aerial platform tailored to NATO’s needs. Meanwhile, Max Drougge, CTO of ACC Innovation AB, highlighted that this collaboration will allow both firms to push the boundaries of what heavy quadcopter drones can achieve in military scenarios.

Why This Matters

As military forces around the world increasingly rely on unmanned systems, heavy-lift drones like the upcoming militarized Thunder Wasp GT offer several advantages:

• Rapid transport of supplies to remote or dangerous areas

• High-altitude surveillance and intelligence gathering

• Support for special operations forces

• Versatile payload options for multiple mission types

Patria’s expertise in developing systems for arctic warfare and unmanned operations adds another layer of reliability to the program, ensuring the drone can operate in extreme cold, poor visibility, and electronic warfare conditions often encountered in modern conflicts.

Expected Specifications of the Militarized Thunder Wasp GT

While final details are under development, the expected features include:

• Maximum Take-Off Weight (MTOW): 800 kg

• Payload capacity: Approx. 300–400 kg

• Flight endurance: 60–90 minutes

• Operational range: Up to 100 km

• Top speed: Around 120 km/h

• Autonomous and manual control modes

• Advanced AI-based navigation and obstacle avoidance

• Secure, encrypted communications with ground control stations

This new military drone is set to strengthen NATO’s operational capabilities, offering a flexible, powerful, and intelligent aerial system for modern defence scenarios.