KORTHOS / ECOSYSTEM / PRODUCT

Bird of Prey

About

About Bird of Prey

Bird of Prey combines Duke Robotics’ stabilisation technology with an uncrewed aircraft and lightweight firearm. The stabilised mount compensates for aircraft motion and recoil so a remote operator can aim and discharge the carried weapon while remaining outside the immediate operating area.

The system is derived from the company’s TIKAD work and is intended for defence users requiring remote aerial engagement beyond reconnaissance missions. Duke Robotics is developing Bird of Prey alongside the IC Drone and AEROTRACE product families and has announced collaboration with Elbit Systems around the programme.

Capabilities

Source-backed capabilities

  • Operating environments: Military stand-off and force-protection missions, Military surveillance and engagement missions
  • Control modes: Teleoperated, Autonomous Sensing With Human Weapon Control
  • Automated target recognition

    Claimed - Detect, classify and track targets within the sensor field of view by day or night. - environment: Military surveillance and engagement missions

    Source
  • Remote and shared control

    Claimed - Control and fire a stabilized lightweight weapon remotely from an unmanned aerial platform. - environment: Military stand-off and force-protection missions

    Source

Timeline

  • Duke Robotics says Elbit received new Bird of Prey weapon-drone order

    2026-06-23 - Commercial Order - The order covers the battle-tested Bird of Prey stabilized weapon-drone system marketed through Elbit. Deliveries are expected later in 2026. Duke said the order should generate royalty revenue under its Elbit collaboration.

    Source

Context

Market context

Bird of Prey is Duke Robotics' stabilized weapon-system drone concept for stand-off and non-line-of-sight defense missions.

  • Target environment: Defense test environments, tactical overwatch settings and drone payload workflows requiring stabilized remote engagement.
  • Workflow context: Remote weapon stabilization, aerial targeting support, stand-off engagement and defense payload integration.
  • Customer context: Defense organizations and integrators evaluating weaponized aerial payload systems rather than general inspection drones.
  • Deployment model: Defense-oriented product line connected to Duke Robotics' collaboration with Elbit Systems Land.
  • Commercial maturity: Commercially presented defense system with public product positioning, but limited open detail on fielded customer deployments.
  • Adoption constraints: Adoption depends on legal controls, procurement requirements, rules of engagement, airframe integration, stabilization performance and export restrictions.
  • Market position: Drone payload and stabilization layer that places Duke Robotics in defense aerial systems rather than commodity UAV manufacturing.
  • Adjacent products: TIKAD, AeroVironment Switchblade, Anduril Altius, XTEND Wolverine

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