Unveiling the latest UAV technologies at IDEX 2025: Weapon of the week

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Ryan Robertson Anchor/Reporter

By Ryan Robertson (Anchor/Reporter), Brett Baker (Senior Producer), Brian Spencer (Video Editor), Dakota Piteo (Senior Motion Designer)

The biannual International Defense Exhibition & Conference (IDEX) in Abu Dhabi saw two major UAV manufacturers, AeroVironment and Heven Drones, unveil new products. IDEX attracted over 150,000 visitors from more than 65 countries.
AeroVironment introduced the Jump 20-X, a maritime version of its Jump 20 drone, designed for naval operations with a 13-hour flight time and vertical take-off and landing capabilities.
Heven Drones unveiled the Raider, a hydrogen-powered UAV with a 22-foot wingspan, 12-hour endurance and a range of over 620 miles.

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As the Air & Space Forces Association’s Warfare Symposium kicks off in Aurora, Colorado, the biannual International Defense Exhibition & Conference (IDEX) recently concluded in Abu Dhabi. The event saw two major UAV manufacturers unveil new products, making them our weapons of the week.

What is IDEX?

IDEX, covering nearly 2 million square feet of exhibition space, attracted over 206,000 visitors from more than 65 countries. It is one of the premier events for defense contractors to introduce new product lines. Among the exhibitors were UAV builders AeroVironment and Heven Drones.

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The Jump 20-X

First up is the Jump 20-X, a maritime version of AeroVironment’s Jump 20 drone. This UAV can launch from naval ships and is in its final development stages. It features a heavy fuel engine, a 13-hour flight time with a 30-pound payload, and vertical take-off and landing capabilities.

Charles Dean, AeroVironment’s vice president of International Business, announced that the Jump 20-X will be available for sale soon, with advance orders possible.

“The Jump 20-X is designed to meet the demanding needs of naval operations,” Dean said. “Its capabilities will provide significant advantages in maritime environments.”

AeroVironment is also known for its Switchblade loitering munitions, which the Pentagon supplied in large numbers to Ukraine. These munitions were also selected for the first batch of Replicator platforms.

The Raider

Next, Heven Drones, a Miami-based builder, unveiled its hydrogen-powered UAV, the Raider.

Founder and CEO Ben Levinson described the Raider as having a 22-foot wingspan, a 50-pound payload capacity, 12-hour endurance, and a range of more than 620 miles.

“The Raider is a game-changer in UAV technology,” Levinson said. “Its hydrogen power allows for quiet operation and low thermal and acoustic signatures, making it ideal for discreet missions.”

The Raider features a modular twin-boom fuselage for stability and can take off and land vertically using four propellers, with a rear pusher propeller providing forward thrust. Assembly takes just 15 minutes.

“We designed the Raider to be versatile and easy to deploy,” Levinson added. “Its ability to generate hydrogen at the launch site ensures continuous operation in remote areas.”

The Raider is designed for various missions, including tactical intelligence and logistics, and can operate for 1,000 hours between overhauls. Levinson expects it to fly later this year and be operational next year.

“We are excited about the potential of the Raider to enhance mission capabilities,” he said.

IDEX continues to be a crucial platform for defense contractors to showcase their latest innovations. The unveiling of the Jump 20-X and the Raider highlights the ongoing advancements in UAV technology, promising enhanced capabilities for military operations worldwide.

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Tags: Drones, Plane, U.S. military, Weapons

[Ryan]

AS THE AFA’S WARFARE SYMPOSIUM GETS UNDERWAY HERE IN AURORA, COLORADO, THE BI-ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL DEFENSE EXHIBITION & CONFERENCE, ALSO KNOWN AS IDEX, RECENTLY WRAPPED UP IN ABU DABI. BUT NOT BEFORE TWO OF THE MAIN PLAYERS IN THE U-A-V GAME UNVEILED A COUPLE OF NEW PRODUCTS. AND THAT’S THE SUBJECT OF OUR WEAPON OF THE WEEK.

COVERING NEARLY TWO MILLION SQUARE FEET OF EXHIBITION SPACE AND ATTRACTING OVER 150,000 VISITORS FROM MORE THAN 65 COUNTRIES, IDEX IS ONE OF THE PREMIERE EVENTS OF ITS KIND. SO ITS EASY TO SEE WHY DEFENSE CONTRACTORS FLOCK TO ABU DABI EVERY TWO YEARS TO INTRODUCE NEW PRODUCT LINES. ITS ALSO NOT SURPRISING TO SEE UAV BUILDERS LIKE AEROVIRONMENT AND HEVEN DRONES.

FIRST UP, THE JUMP 20-X. THIS IS A MARITIME VERSION OF AEROVIRONMENT’S JUMP 20 DRONE THAT CAN LAUNCH FROM NAVAL SHIPS.

THE 20-X IS IN FINAL DEVELOPMENT, BUT WE DO KNOW IT FEATURES A HEAVY FUEL ENGINE, WITH A 13-HOUR FLIGHT TIME WITH A 30-POUND PAYLOAD, AND HAS VERTICAL TAKE-OFF AND LANDING CAPABILITIES. CHARLES DEAN, THE COMPANY’S VP OF INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS TOLD ATTENDEES IT WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR SALE SOON, WITH ADVANCE ORDERS POSSIBLE.

AEROVIRONMENT IS ALSO KNOWN FOR ITS SWITCHBLADE LOITERING MUNITIONS, WHICH THE PENTAGON SUPPLIED IN LARGE NUMBERS TO UKRAINE, AND THEY WERE ALSO SELECTED FOR THE FIRST BATCH OF REPLICATOR PLATFORMS.

NEXT UP, ANOTHER DRONE MAKER WE’VE FEATURED ON WEAPONS AND WARFARE, HEVEN DRONES. THE MIAMI BASED BUILDER UNVEILED THEIR HYDROGEN-POWERED UAV, THE RAIDER.

FOUNDER/CEO AND FRIEND OF THE PROGRAM, BEN LEVINSON SAYS THE RAIDER HAS A 22-FOOT WINGSPAN, THAT CAN ACCOMODATE A 50-POUND PAYLOAD, WITH 12-HOUR ENDURANCE, AND A RANGE OF MORE THAN 620 MILES.

THE RAIDER FEATURES A MODULAR TWIN-BOOM FUSELAGE FOR STABILITY AND, LIKE THE JUMP 20-X IT CAN TAKE OFF AND LAND VERTICALLY USING FOUR PROPELLERS WITH A REAR PUSHER PROPELLER PROVIDING FORWARD THRUST. ASSEMBLY TAKES JUST 15 MINUTES.

BEING HYDROGEN-POWERED ALLOWS THE RAIDER TO OPERATE QUIETLY WITH LOW THERMAL AND ACOUSTIC SIGNATURES, MAKING IT SUITABLE FOR DISCREET MISSIONS. THE SYSTEM GENERATES HYDROGEN AT THE LAUNCH SITE, TOO, ENSURING CONTINUOUS OPERATION IN REMOTE AREAS.

THE RAIDER IS DESIGNED FOR VARIOUS MISSIONS, INCLUDING TACTICAL INTELLIGENCE AND LOGISTICS, AND CAN OPERATE FOR 1,000 HOURS BETWEEN OVERHAULS. LEVINSON EXPECTS IT TO FLY LATER THIS YEAR AND BE OPERATIONAL NEXT YEAR.