- Business
- Orbital Corporation Limited (ASX:OEC), through its Orbital UAV division, designs, develops, manufactures, and supplies integrated propulsion systems (IPS) and flight-critical components for Group 2 and Group 3 tactical unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs); these include heavy fuel two-stroke boxer engines ranging from 50cc to 350cc with patented FlexDI air-assisted direct injection technology for superior fuel atomization, efficiency, and multi-fuel capability (gasoline, JP5, JP8, Jet A); advanced engine management systems featuring black-box logging, fault monitoring, anti-stall logic, power management, and return-to-base functionality; electrical power management units; complete IPS assemblies encompassing mufflers, propellers, cooling shrouds, wiring harnesses, and fuel delivery systems; modular propulsion solutions; design and development services; machining and prototyping; product integration, testing, validation, manufacturing, production, and servicing support; Mission-Ready Engines as standardized configurations for Tier 2 military and Tier 1 commercial UAV OEMs; and In-Service Support packages including spares, repairs, health monitoring, overhauls, and field support.
The company serves military and defense customers, including Tier 1 OEMs such as Boeing subsidiary Insitu (ScanEagle), Textron Systems (Aerosonde MK 4.8 and 4.7), DSO National Laboratories Singapore (Veloce 150), Dynamatic Technologies India (Cheel UAV), and others like Pretorian Australia, Callen-Lenz (BAE Systems subsidiary), and FIPL Vietnam (HiTaco); it targets surveillance and reconnaissance missions with endurance up to 12 hours at 20,000 feet; operations span Australia, the United States, South-East Asia, Asia Pacific, India, and Europe from production facilities in Balcatta, Western Australia (55 employees, 16 test cells, 600+ engines/year capacity), and Hood River, Oregon, USA (currently mothballed, 240+ engines/year capacity); Orbital was founded in 1988 (formerly Orbital Engine Corporation Limited until October 2004) and is headquartered at 4 Whipple Street, Balcatta, Western Australia 6021.
Recent developments include a A$3.0 million capital raising in August 2025 via placement of 14.2 million shares at A$0.21 to fund manufacturing and test facility upgrades (A$2.0 million), global business development (A$0.3 million, including US Business Development Manager Steven Osborne appointment), and accelerated product development leveraging US Drone Dominance Policy (Executive Order 14307, June 2025) opportunities amid USD 150 billion UAV funding to 2032; launch of Mission-Ready Engines and In-Service Support expansions in 2025 targeting Tier 2 military and commercial segments via direct, distributor, and online channels; new management team with aerospace veterans including CEO Stephen Pearce, CFO Mark Wege, Head of Engineering Rob Sharples, and Steve Osborne; signed MOU with Pretorian Australia for 350cc engine supply and testing; prototype deliveries to DSO Veloce 150 and ongoing programs with Textron Aerosonde power upgrades, Dynamatic Cheel, and others; over 1.2 million flight hours accumulated; FY25 unaudited revenue of A$8.2 million with A$6.2 million order book; and positioning for Blue UAS compliance and US domestic production mandates.