Maryland-based defense company Mistral Inc. has started the production of the Thor vertical takeoff and landing mini drone at its Nottingham facility.

The Thor unmanned aerial system is part of the US Department of Defense’s Medium Range Reconnaissance effort, which seeks Group 2 drones weighing between 21 to 55 pounds (9.5 to 24.9 kilograms) for the army.

Thor is designed with targeting, dropping, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities for multi-domain operations.

It is capable of lifting 22 pounds (10 kilograms) of cargo, can be folded, transported via backpack storage, and deployed in under two minutes.

Thor can fly autonomously for up to 70 minutes with its integrated electro-optical infrared sensor enabled.

Efficient Manufacturing

Mistral wrote that the Thor development in its Nottingham center will join a simultaneous production of the Micro Tactical Ground Robot (MTGR).

The MTGR is a land-based drone developed for urban warfare, special operations, public safety, and explosive ordnance disposal tasks.

Resulting MTGR units from the site will be delivered to the US Marine Corps as part of a previous contract.

“All activities related to the production of both the MTGR and THOR UAS systems will be efficiently managed from this location,” Mistral said in its announcement.

“Our Nottingham facility is staffed with highly skilled professionals and is designed to accommodate increased production volumes without compromising on quality or delivery timelines.”

“We are committed to ensuring that the THOR [unmanned aerial system] meets all regulatory standards and performance expectations.”