Platform Aerospace

What Platform Aerospace does

Platform Aerospace is a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) founded in 1993 and headquartered in Hollywood, Maryland, specializing in disruptive unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and rapid aircraft modification for defense, federal, and international customers. The company's flagship product is the Vanilla Ultra-Long Endurance Group 3 UAS, which set the FAI-certified world record for unrefueled internal combustion engine endurance at 8 days and 50 minutes (192+ hours) in September-October 2021. Vanilla offers up to 150 lbs (68 kg) of modular payload capacity across 7 installation points with 500W of payload power, supporting over 40 integrated payloads across ISR, communications relay, SIGINT, electronic warfare, and Air Launched Effects mission sets. The product family now includes three mission-specific variants — Vanilla Multi-Mission, Vanilla ALE, and Vanilla Arctic — all sharing an open/modular architecture compliant with the Mod Payload Standard.

Platform Aerospace generates revenue through a combination of direct UAS platform sales to defense and government customers and professional services for payload integration, sensor customization, and flight testing. Procurement cost is positioned below the USAF's attritable threshold with GO/GO, GO/CO, and CO/CO deployment options. The company operates an AS9100D / ISO 9001:2015-certified 50,000 sq ft design, fabrication, and modification campus six miles from Patuxent River Naval Air Station, plus a 43,000 sq ft Training Center of Excellence and Integration Test Facility in Blackstone, Virginia. Distribution is exclusively direct B2B/B2G, targeting the U.S. Department of Defense, federal civilian agencies, and — through the newly launched Platform Aerospace UK subsidiary established in August 2025 — the U.K. Ministry of Defence, NATO, and Five Eyes+ international partners. The company employs 51-100 people and ranks #5 on Fortune's Best Places to Work (2024) and Best Workplaces in Manufacturing and Production (2025).

Name

Platform Aerospace

Legal name

Platform Aerospace

Website

https://platformaerospace.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Platform Aerospace is a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business that designs and operates the Vanilla Ultra-Long Endurance Group 3 UAS, serving U.S. DoD, federal agencies, UK MoD, and NATO partners with persistent ISR, SIGINT, EW, and air-launched effects missions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS)

NAICS

Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing (33641), Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511), Other Aircraft Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing (336413)

SIC

Aircraft & Parts (3720), Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812)

akta.pro primary industry

Military Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) & Autonomous Aerial Platforms (IMABAMAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fixed-Wing Unmanned Aircraft (UAV) (IMABAIAB), UAS Payloads (EO/IR, LiDAR, SAR, SIGINT) & Gimbals (IMABAIAI)

Keywords

• Unmanned aircraft systems
• Defense aerospace manufacturing
• Aircraft modification services
• UAS payload integration
• Long-endurance drones

Headquarters

HQ city

Hollywood

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. UAS Platform Sales: Direct sales of Vanilla Ultra-Long Endurance UAS platforms to defense and government customers. Procurement cost is below USAF attritable threshold.
2. System Integration Services: Aircraft modification, sensor integration, and payload customization services for government and defense customers.
3. Payload Integration & Testing: Rapid integration and flight testing services for third-party payloads on the Vanilla platform.
4. International Defense Contracts: UAS solutions and support services for UK, NATO, and European defense partners through Platform Aerospace UK subsidiary.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Platform Aerospace manufactures and sells the Vanilla Ultra-Long Endurance Group 3 UAS, a world-record-holding unmanned aircraft system capable of 8+ days of unrefueled endurance with up to 150 lbs modular payload capacity for ISR, communications relay, SIGINT, electronic warfare, and air-launched effects missions. The company also provides aircraft modification, sensor integration, and rapid payload customization services for defense and government customers, and integrates third-party payloads onto the Vanilla platform in as little as three weeks.

Product overview

Platform Aerospace is a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) specializing in disruptive UAS technologies and rapid aircraft modification. Its product portfolio is anchored by the Vanilla Ultra-Long Endurance Group 3 UAS, a world-record setting platform with over 8 days of endurance and up to 150 lbs of modular payload capacity. The Vanilla family includes multiple mission-configurable variants — Vanilla Multi-Mission (ISR, SIGINT, EW, Communications Relay, Decoy), Vanilla ALE (Air Launched Effects for kinetic and non-kinetic delivery), and Vanilla Arctic (specialized for polar operations) — all sharing the same modular Open Payload Standard architecture. The company also integrates third-party sensor payloads (e.g., ASI's SNITCH RF ISR-T) onto Vanilla, and has established Platform Aerospace UK to serve UK, NATO, and European partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Vanilla: Ultra-Long Endurance Group 3 UAS platform with world record endurance of 8 days and 50 minutes. Capable of ISR, Communications Relay, SIGINT, Electronic Warfare, Air Launched Effects, and other missions.

Products and services

• Vanilla UAS The Vanilla Ultra-Long Endurance Group 3 UAS is Platform Aerospace's flagship unmanned aerial system with up to 8+ days endurance, ~15,000 miles range, 70-knot dash speed, 45-55-knot loiter speed, and 15,000 ft max ceiling. It supports up to 150 lbs (68 kg) modular payload capacity with 7 installation points, 500 watts of payload power, and an open/modular architecture compliant with the Mod Payload Standard. Over 40 payloads have been integrated to-date for ISR, Communications Relay, SIGINT, Electronic Warfare, and Air Launched Effects missions for defense and government customers.
• Vanilla Multi-Mission UAS Configuration The Vanilla Multi-Mission configuration executes multiple distinct mission sets in a single flight, including Communications Relay, ISR, Signals Intelligence (SIGINT), Electronic Warfare (EW), and Decoy operations, leveraging the platform's extreme endurance and 150 lbs payload capacity for defense and government customers.
• Vanilla ALE (Air Launched Effects) UAS Configuration The Vanilla ALE configuration transforms the Vanilla platform into an ultra-long-range delivery vehicle for kinetic and non-kinetic effects, enabling find, fix, track, target, engage, and assess (F2T2EA) operations in contested environments for defense customers.
• Vanilla Arctic UAS Configuration The Vanilla Arctic variant provides Arctic flight capability with demonstrated flights from Alaska and Greenland, including a record 39-hour unrefueled flight 500 miles into the Arctic Circle north of the 78th parallel. It supports specialized payloads including snow-depth measurement radar, electronic intelligence systems, and weather/icing sensors for defense and research customers.
• Aircraft Modification and Integration Services Aircraft modification, sensor integration, engineering, and fabrication services for government and defense customers, including rapid integration and flight testing of third-party payloads on the Vanilla platform.

Quantifiable outcome

• 8 days and 50 minutes unrefueled endurance (world record)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and key.

• Applied Signals Intelligence (ASI)coreTechnology or Integration · 10 December 2025Platform Aerospace and ASI successfully integrated the SNITCH RF ISR-T payload onto the Vanilla UAS within three weeks. The new capability provides rapid, modular ultrawideband RF direction finding and geolocation for EMSO missions on long-endurance unmanned platforms. The rapid development highlights the modular architecture enabling quick payload adaptation for evolving electromagnetic spectrum operations and electronic warfare missions.
• UK Ministry of DefencekeyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 August 2025Platform Aerospace UK established to support growing demand from UK defence, NATO, and European partners for advanced UAS solutions. Jeremy 'Jez' Cooper, 28-year UK Armed Forces veteran, appointed UK Managing Director to lead strategic growth and establish partnerships with defence stakeholders across the region. Plans include in-country production and training facilities for the Vanilla UAS platform.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• AeroVironment: U.S. defense and commercial small/mid UAS manufacturer (Switchblade, Puma, Quantix) selling Group 1-3 platforms to DoD and allied militaries; the closest pure-play comparison to Platform Aerospace in size, customer mix, and fixed-wing Group 3 unmanned portfolio.
• Kratos Defense & Security Solutions: Designs and fields high-performance tactical UAS (XQ-58 Valkyrie, MQM-178 Firejet, UTAP-22) targeting DoD attritable and Collaborative Combat Aircraft programs; comparable as a sub-prime UAS platform provider chasing Air Launched Effects and long-endurance tactical roles.

Emerging players

• Shield AI: Defense-tech UAS and autonomy provider (V-BAT, Hivemind) targeting ISR and autonomous tactical flight for DoD; comparable on UAS mission focus and DoD sales motion but skews toward VTOL/vertical takeoff architectures.
• Anduril Industries: Defense-tech company fielding autonomous UAS (Roadrunner, Ghost, Bolt) for ISR, EW, and effects; comparable as a venture-backed defense UAS competitor pursuing DoD multi-mission autonomous platforms, though at a larger scale and broader portfolio.

Broad incumbents

• General Atomics Aeronautical Systems: Prime manufacturer of MQ-9 Reaper and MQ-20 Avenger long-endurance military UAS, the incumbent benchmark in persistent ISR and strike; comparable on mission profile (persistent ISR, EW) but operates at a far larger platform class (Group 4-5) and scale.
• Northrop Grumman: Produces the RQ-4 Global Hawk HALE UAS and is a major UAS prime; comparable as a large defense incumbent competing for the same persistent-ISR and high-altitude mission sets, though at a vastly different scale and platform class.
• Textron Systems: Manufactures the Aerosonde HQ and other Group 2-3 UAS for DoD and international militaries; comparable as an established U.S. defense OEM with fixed-wing tactical UAS offerings and similar DoD customer base.
• Insitu (Boeing subsidiary): Boeing-owned maker of ScanEagle and Integrator tactical UAS serving U.S. and allied militaries; comparable on fixed-wing Group 2-3 ISR platforms, rapid payload integration, and government contracting model, but operates inside a much larger prime.

Regional players

• Thales UK: European defense prime with UAS programs (Watchkeeper, UAS 100) serving UK MoD and NATO; comparable as a long-endurance tactical UAS provider and a potential international competitor to Platform Aerospace UK in the European/Five Eyes market.
• EDGE Group (CARACAL/Halcon): UAE-based defense conglomerate fielding tactical UAS for export; comparable as an emerging international UAS competitor pursuing NATO-aligned procurement customers, but primarily operating out of the Middle East/Africa region.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights8 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCltr9ig-WSa_ZEyGnByrs_g
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• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/platform-systems-inc-
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Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Platform Aerospace