What is a Penguin C drone?

What is a Penguin C drone?

The Penguin C is a civilian and military drone capable of extreme flight times (20+ hours). The Penguin C can be launched in the field, fitted with advanced optics and field-swappable payloads. The entire Penguin C system, including a command control and pneumatic rail launcher, can fit in the back of a large vehicle.

Watch this incredible video to see how a 2-person team can deploy it in the field:

How does a Penguin C drone work?

The Penguin C is launched from a pneumatic rail that can be deployed almost anywhere and lands by deploying a parachute. The Penguin C is designed for remote field work or advanced reconnaissance missions. It can be driven to a location with several payloads and run different assignments depending on the conditions.

The Penguin C runs on an ultra-quiet gas engine, which gives it long flight times. The Penguin C is large enough to be fitted with advanced optics and carry a ~50lb customizable payload.

Who makes Penguin C drones?

Penguin C drones are made by Edge Autonomy (edgeautonomy.io) based in San Luis Obispo, California. Edge Autonomy was founded in 2009 by Joseph Menaker and Konstantins Popiks.

How do Penguin C drones work with other drones?

Penguin C drones can be used for advanced targeting, and with its customizable payload, it can deploy smaller drones once in the air. The most likely use is as a long-endurance surveillance and intelligence-gathering tool. In direct combat, the Penguin C could conceivably deploy light drones like a Switchblade or Altius 600 and then perform advanced targeting for those drones.

How does a catapult-launched drone work?

Launching drones, especially long-endurance ones, is a popular way to deploy them into the field because it avoids the heavy fuel cost of takeoff. Getting a drone off the ground is trickier and more energy-intensive than keeping one flying, so many drones are designed to be launched from different devices. In the case of the Penguin C – it is attached to a pneumatic rail that slings it into the air at launch.

Why did the US send Penguin C drones to Ukraine?

Penguin C drones could be used to assist in breaking the trench lines of Russian soldiers. The Penguin C drones will be used for surveillance and intelligence gathering as it is highly capable of that function. The Penguin C has a small form factor considering the optics packages it can carry, and the engine is quieter than larger drones would be.

The US military ordered these drones in 2022 and may have decided to purchase them in the first place based on the heavy use of drones in the war.

How much does a Penguin C drone cost?

The US government first bought Penguin C (and B) drones in July of 2022, and we don’t know their exact price yet. Based on the private sector estimates for a Penguin B drone setup (including ground control) are between $750,00 and $1,000,000 each.