Sky Power International’s CEO Karsten Schudt outlines how rising intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) demands, hybridization, and geopolitics are reshaping UAV propulsion and why engines aren’t a commodity but a strategic enabler.
From German-engineered two-stroke, Wankel, heavy fuel (HF) and hybrid systems to rigorous FAR33 testing, CAN-bus-enabled efficiency, and global support, Schudt makes the case for early co-development with integrators, measurable mean time between failures (MTBF) and total cost of ownership (TCO) gains, and procurement clarity through pre-validated data, so platforms fly farther, carry more, and stay mission-ready longer.