Eurosatory, Paris: AURA M, the defence division of AURA AERO, unveiled the new design of ENBATA, its sovereign multi-mission MALE drone at Eurosatory.
ENBATA marks a new milestone with an architecture optimised for robustness, maintenance, modularity, and the integration of next-generation sensors. Designed to meet the needs of armed forces in demanding theaters of operation, ENBATA combines endurance, payload capacity, an open digital architecture, and controlled costs. The drone is intended for a wide range of missions: long-range strategic intelligence, armed reconnaissance, electronic warfare, maritime surveillance, communications relay, and counter-drone operations.
The design presented by AURA M supports this operational ambition. The aircraft features a deliberately simple metal fuselage, designed to facilitate production, maintenance, and field repairs. The wings, tail surfaces, and nose utilise composite materials, optimising weight, aerodynamic performance, and the integration of mission equipment.
The nose of ENBATA has been progressively refined. Offering easy access for system maintenance, it is also designed to adapt as effectively as possible to the evolution of onboard sensors. It already incorporates modern solutions for both radar and communications, featuring flat, space-saving antennas.
A Drone Designed to Operate from Rudimentary Airfields
ENBATA was designed for rapid deployment and implementation. Transportable in a 40-foot container, it is designed to be deployed by an A400M to the theater of operations along with its dedicated ground station.
Its landing gear and low-pressure tires were specifically designed to adapt to rudimentary or unprepared runways. This deployment capability complements ENBATA’s advertised performance: up to 55 hours of endurance, 25,000 feet of operational altitude, 160 ktas cruise speed, 17-metre wingspan, and up to 1,050 kg of payload, including fuel and mission load.
A Certifiable and Scalable Architecture
Powered by a diesel engine paired with a variable-pitch propeller, ENBATA features an open architecture with fly-by-wire controls, designed to facilitate the rapid integration of new software capabilities and mission systems. ENBATA’s EASA certification will be a major differentiator: it should allow the drone to operate in non-segregated airspace, paving the way for dual-use missions and more flexible deployments, whereas traditional MALE systems are generally confined to dedicated or strictly military environments. This design philosophy will enhance the aircraft’s operational safety and availability.
High-Level Mission Management
ENBATA aims to advance drone control by issuing high-level commands: operators define objectives, areas of interest, and mission priorities, while the system assists with the execution, monitoring, and adaptation of the flight plan. This approach reduces the cognitive load on crews, optimises the use of human resources, and facilitates the execution of long, complex, or multi-sensor missions.
ENBATA is thus part of a new generation of aerial systems where the operator remains at the heart of decision-making but relies on an intelligent platform to gain in efficiency, operational endurance, and responsiveness.
The Sphere Awareness System: 360° Awareness of the Flight Environment
ENBATA integrates the Sphere Awareness System, an environmental analysis solution designed to improve drone safety and efficiency. A drone’s field of view is often limited by its primary payload.
ENBATA expands this perception through a network of smart cameras distributed across the aircraft. The system monitors the environment around the drone, detects the entry of an aircraft or object into a defined perimeter, alerts operators, automatically activates a live video feed, tracks the target in real time, and captures images useful for analysis. This 360° awareness bubble allows operators to remain focused on the primary mission while benefiting from constant monitoring of the drone’s immediate surroundings.
The Sphere Awareness System exemplifies AURA M’s approach, which is to provide more onboard intelligence without unnecessarily complicating the platform.
A Sovereign, Mass-produced Platform Designed for the Armed Forces
With ENBATA, AURA M aims to offer a sovereign, ITAR-free European solution designed for large-scale production and simplified deployment. Design-to-cost, simplicity of form, the judicious use of metal and composite materials, and the integration of existing systems all contribute to the goal of controlled costs.
“ENBATA was designed as a tool for operational superiority: durable, robust, modular, and capable of rapidly evolving with the needs of the armed forces. Its new design, unveiled at the Eurosatory exhibition, reflects our commitment to constantly adapting to the realities on the ground and seizing the opportunities that arise,” stated General (Ret.) Stéphane Mille, President of AURA M.
ENBATA exemplifies AURA M’s mission: to support the armed forces from requirements definition through to the operational product, leveraging the prototyping, certification, and production capabilities of a European aerospace manufacturer.
