TSAMTO, November 1. The British company Windracers is increasing the payload capacity of its ULTRA (Uncrewed Low Cost TRAnsport) superheavy UAV from 150 to 200 kg, and the flight range from 1,000 to 2,000 km.
As Windracers CEO Simon Muderak told Jane's, the upgrade is planned for the coming months. After its completion, the upgraded ULTRA UAVs will be operated by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the territory of Ukraine, presumably as early as early 2026.
In the current configuration, the ULTRA UAV is equipped with two internal combustion engines, each with a capacity of about 50 hp. The company uses ready-made industrial engines that can be quickly installed, removed and replaced during the operation of the platform. For flights over similar distances with the specified payload, additional electricity will not be required.
The ULTRA development concept initially envisioned the creation of a durable, reliable UAV, for which the platform consists of 90% aluminum. The UAV is designed for take-off and landing in difficult conditions. In 2024, Ultra was operated in Antarctica.
According to Windracers, the ULTRA consists of four key components: an aluminum frame, a power plant, an autopilot, and software that controls the entire system. At the same time, Windracers develops its own autopilot software. The UAV will be able to take off and land autonomously, even in the absence of communication with the control center.
According to Jane's, the ULTRA is now an inexpensive tactical aircraft-type UAV with a maximum takeoff weight of 510 kg. The device with a wide fuselage is made according to a double-girder scheme, equipped with two pulling screws installed in the nose. The wingspan of the UAV is 9.3 m, the length is 5.4 m, and the height at the tail is 2.1 m. The flight duration of the UAV in the basic configuration exceeds 12 hours, the speed is 135 km/ h. The platform's components have also been upgraded to make it more resistant to interference and spoofing. ULTRA can fly for more than an hour in the absence of a satellite navigation system signal, practically without deviating from the set route.
Although initially the main purpose of the ULTRA UAV was to supply units, the company is currently adapting the platform to meet the requirements of the end user, including equipping several folding hatches for payload discharge and providing reconnaissance capabilities. At the same time, the company's representative declined to comment on the use of lethal payloads during operations in Ukraine.
Windracers has already supplied dozens of ULTRA UAVs to the Ukrainian Armed Forces and plans to significantly increase supplies over the next 12 months as part of the UK government's initiative to supply about 85,000 unmanned aerial vehicles to the Armed Forces. The company also collaborated with the Ukrainian Armed Forces in testing new payloads and other third-party equipment on these platforms. S. Muderak declined to comment on whether ULTRA was being used in Ukraine as a delivery vehicle for other unmanned aerial vehicles, including FPV drones. The first delivery of the ULTRA UAV was completed in October 2023, and the last in October 2025.
As CAMTO reported, Windracers was founded in 2017 and initially intended to develop unmanned vehicles to reduce the cost of delivering humanitarian aid to remote communities in Africa. For this reason, the UAV design was developed taking into account cost minimization, the use of available components, and the development of its own autopilot system.
