Kite Aero Partners With Sykes Advanced Manufacturing for Kite UAV Production in Australia

Source | Kite Aero

Kite Aerospace Pty Ltd. (Kite Aero, Port Melbourne, Australia) has commenced production of its KITE uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) in partnership with Sykes Advanced Manufacturing (Geelong, Australia), the advanced manufacturing division of Jeff Sykes & Associates.

Production will be based in Sykes’ Geelong facility (previously operated by Quickstep). The site brings aerospace-grade composite capability, large-format 3D printing and five-axis CNC machining under one roof, giving Kite Aero a sovereign, Australian-owned manufacturing base for KITE.

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Manufacturing in Australia places KITE production within a Five Eyes supply chain. The UAV is built by an allied manufacturer, with IP held onshore. For enterprise and government customers across the U.S., Europe and allied markets, this delivers the supply chain assurance and procurement confidence that offshore manufacturing cannot match, the company says.

The KITE, powered by AXIOM autonomous aviation software, is a purpose-built autonomous logistics aircraft designed to deliver critical supplies more reliably and effectively to communities and personnel beyond the reach of conventional transport. The aircraft has already proven itself in the field, having flown more than 2,000 flights and 800 hours under the Kite Aero flag (in addition to the 11,000 flights and 2,500 hours under previous ownership) and has a pipeline of more than 100 units.

“Moving the KITE production to Geelong is a decisive step in scaling Kite Aero,” says Philip van der Burg, CEO of Kite Aero. “Sykes brings nearly 60 years of composites manufacturing discipline and one of the most capable advanced manufacturing facilities in the country. That gives us a scalable sovereign Australian production capability, able to meet capacity as demand in our pipeline grows. Producing locally at rate also means we keep our customers’ aircraft flying, with the responsiveness and high utilization operators depend on.”

Sykes Advanced Manufacturing draws on a heritage that includes four Olympic gold medals and more than 30 world championship medals in rowing, applying the same composite expertise and quality discipline to aerospace-grade components. Operating from two facilities together providing 6,500 square meters of high-quality composites manufacturing capability in Geelong, Victoria, the division combines composite tooling and production, large-format additive and subtractive manufacturing.

Kite Aero acquired the assets of Swoop Aero in early 2025, which included the KITE UAV platform.