KTEK lands UAV design and prototype contract with Vestal Technology
KTEK Aerosystems Ltd (ASX: KTK) has entered into a binding prototype development and manufacturing agreement with Israel-based Vestal Technology Ltd for the SCOOPER 25 unmanned aerial system. The fixed contract price is US$172,500, excluding taxes, duties, shipping, and customer-site expenses.
Under the agreement, KTEK will advance the SCOOPER 25 structural design to prototype-manufacturing maturity, manufacture the required prototype tooling, complete static structural analysis, and produce two composite prototype airframe structures. The SCOOPER 25 has a maximum take-off mass of up to 25 kilograms and uses Vestal’s patented SCOOP wing architecture. Payments are linked to order, tooling, and prototype-completion milestones.
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What the SCOOP wing technology means for investors
Vestal’s patented SCOOP wing architecture is engineered to generate high lift at low speeds, supporting extreme short take-off and landing (STOL) operations while delivering extended endurance with a low acoustic and thermal signature. These characteristics are particularly relevant in defence and surveillance applications, where detectability and operational flexibility are priorities.
Vestal is targeting a range of mission-critical sectors with the SCOOPER 25 platform:
- Defence and special operations
- Intelligence and surveillance
- Mapping
- Infrastructure monitoring
The company is led by an experienced aviation and defence team, including former senior Israeli Air Force personnel and executives with UAV development, flight operations, and commercialisation experience.
For KTEK, securing a customer of this profile validates its composite engineering capability within a technically demanding segment. It also adds a new name to its customer pipeline, broadening the base of programs the company is actively supporting.
Full-turnkey model in action — contract scope and delivery timeline
The Vestal contract represents a design-to-build program that combines engineering, non-recurring engineering (NRE), tooling, and prototype manufacture under a single customer agreement. This is the full expression of KTEK’s service model, taking a platform from structural design through to physical prototypes.
The project is expected to progress as follows:
- Project mobilisation: confirm aircraft configuration and design-load basis
- Engineering and tooling work commences
- First prototype airframe: targeted within five months of project commencement
- Second prototype airframe: approximately one month after the first
Timing remains subject to agreed customer inputs, configuration freeze, and supplier availability. Revenue from the contract is expected to be recognised progressively as engineering, tooling, and prototype milestones are completed.
It is important to note that the current contract is limited to two prototype airframe structures and does not guarantee further orders. Any follow-on manufacture will depend on successful prototype development, Vestal’s requirements, and a separate commercial agreement.
Dekel Keisar, Founder and Managing Director, KTEK Aerosystems
“This contract is a strong example of KTEK’s full-turnkey model. We are bringing together our structural engineering, composite design, tooling and manufacturing capabilities to help take the SCOOPER 25 from preliminary design into physical prototypes. It adds a new customer and provides KTEK with an opportunity to remain involved as the platform progresses. Our immediate focus is the successful delivery of the two agreed prototype airframe structures.”
Why this contract fits KTEK’s growth strategy
The Vestal agreement sits squarely within KTEK’s established business scope. The company’s “Cordless Factory” model is designed to support aerospace and unmanned systems programs through design, tooling, and prototype manufacture, making this type of contract a natural fit rather than a departure from its core focus.
KTEK’s programs typically begin during development and can progress through prototyping and qualification to serial production and spares. The Vestal contract represents the entry point in that lifecycle. The company’s broader capability set supports the potential for follow-on involvement should the prototype phase prove successful:
KTEK’s composite airframe deliveries to its major OEM drone customer resumed in May 2026, with an initial A$500,000 shipment dispatched from European facilities as the company outlined a five-stage ramp-up toward 150 units per month.
- Build-to-spec composite airframes and structural components
- Full-turnkey design-to-build sub-assemblies
- Electromechanical assemblies and rugged defence systems
- Systems integration and kitting
- SATCOM components and sub-assemblies
Customer diversification and broader service capability were part of the growth strategy outlined at ASX listing. KTEK has confirmed it will update the market if the Vestal program leads to material follow-on orders or other material developments.
Investors exploring how KTEK is building out its customer geographic footprint beyond Israel will find our detailed coverage of KTEK’s US export licence approval useful; it explains how the Netherlands-to-US supply corridor was established and what domestic vendor preference rules mean for the company’s ability to pursue American government customers.
| Detail | Specifics |
|---|---|
| Customer | Vestal Technology Ltd (Israel) |
| Contract Value | US$172,500 (fixed price, excluding taxes, duties, shipping, and customer-site expenses) |
| Scope | Structural design to prototype-manufacturing maturity, prototype tooling, static structural analysis, and production of two composite prototype airframe structures |
| First Prototype Target | Within five months of project commencement (subject to customer inputs, configuration freeze, and supplier availability) |
| Payment Structure | Milestone-linked: order, tooling, and prototype-completion milestones |
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