This week’s news round up looks at a new heavy-lift eVTOL drone from ERC Systems, a delivery partnership between Dexa and All The Best Delicatessen, and Ondas recent acquisition of Cyberhawk. 

ERC Systems Launches Heavy-Lift eVTOL

Munich-based ERC System unveiled "Victor," an uncrewed hybrid-electric heavy-lift cargo drone, at ILA Berlin 2026. The aircraft carries up to 250 kg over distances of up to 300 kilometers at 250 km/h, using a lift-and-cruise design that takes off vertically but flies wing-borne like an airplane. According to CCO Maximilian Oligschläger, it targets a gap in European defense logistics between small drones (under 50 kg) and costly crewed aircraft, with operating costs roughly 70% below a small helicopter. ERC is targeting first deliveries in 2028, drawing on its remotely operated Romeo prototype, which has a takeoff weight of about 2.7 tonnes.

Victor serves as a stepping stone toward Charlie, ERC's crewed eVTOL slated for 2030, with the two sharing suppliers and production methods. ERC is pursuing civil certification intended for military recognition, with initial missions focused on delivering supplies to remote locations and possible later casualty evacuation. Oligschläger argues the European eVTOL sector remains viable despite the failures of Volocopter and Lilium, citing early investment from IABG and a focus on existing mission needs, and contends Europe trails the US and China in government support. Whether ERC meets its 2028 timeline remains uncertain.

Dexa Delivers Dayton’s Favorite Sandwich

Autonomous logistics firm Dexa teamed up with local institution All The Best Delicatessen to pull off Ohio's first commercial food drone delivery: a boxed lunch, pickle included, flown roughly 1.5 miles from the deli's kitchen to a residential site and back in minutes, with local media and curious onlookers watching from the parking lot. For drivers craning their necks at stoplights, it was a brief novelty. But underneath the spectacle is something more consequential, one of the most heavily credentialed operations in American aviation finally doing something ordinary in public.

Dexa is one of only four U.S. companies, alongside Amazon, Google's Wing, and Zipline, to hold an FAA airworthiness certification, a Part 135 Air Carrier Certificate, and a national BVLOS waiver simultaneously. After testing in dense New Jersey airspace with Grubhub and Wonder earlier this year, it has brought that airline-grade capability home to Dayton. The pitch is what sets Dexa apart from the logistics giants. Their first client is a popular local deli instead of a national fulfillment center. It's an appealing democratizing narrative, captured in deli owner Lee Schear's line about old traditions and innovation working hand in hand. 

Ondas Inc, Acquires Cyberhawk

Ondas Inc, an autonomous systems and defense technologies provider, has entered a definitive agreement to acquire Cyberhawk, a global leader in drone-based critical infrastructure inspection, visual data management, and AI-enabled analytics. This acquisition is expected to close in the third quarter of 2026. The deal brings Cyberhawk's operations across 40 countries, over 300 customers (including PG&E, Shell, and Qatar Energy), and a track record of inspecting over 500,000 assets and amassing 232+ terabytes of proprietary inspection data.

The acquisition advances Ondas' strategy to build a category-defining autonomous intelligence platform spanning defense, security, and critical infrastructure markets. By integrating Cyberhawk's cloud-native iHawk software, digital-twin workflows, and proprietary data assets with Ondas' autonomous systems, sensing, and mission-automation capabilities, the combined company aims to deliver an end-to-end platform covering data collection, visualization, asset intelligence, and AI-driven decision support. Leadership from both companies framed infrastructure resilience and energy security as growing national security priorities that strengthen Ondas' dual-use business model across government and commercial customers. Cyberhawk, founded in 2008 and advised by Lincoln International, will continue operating its existing businesses without interruption after closing, with Ondas pledging continued investment in its leadership team, global delivery capabilities, and software platform.