By: Arie Egozi
Attis Aviation, an Israeli technology firm, has achieved a major milestone with the successful maiden flight of its flagship ROC Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial vehicle. A turning point in the company’s development program, this first flight confirms the ROC UAV’s promise as a game-changing solution for defense, homeland security and civil mission applications.
The ROC’s design bridges a critical gap between small tactical drones and larger unmanned aircraft systems by offering an impressive combination of fixed-wing efficiency and rotary-wing adaptability. Weighing in at 150 kilograms, the ROC provides an endurance of more than 20 hours in the air and supports payloads up to 40 kilograms. This places the ROC among the most capable in its class for long-duration surveillance, intelligence-gathering and multi-mission operations.
Built on a hybrid propulsion foundation, the ROC leverages both a heavy fuel JP-8 engine and an electric motor to optimize reliability and operational flexibility. This hybrid system enables rapid deployment, reduced maintenance needs and robust performance in demanding environments.
Notably, the ROC supports both line-of-sight and beyond-line-of-sight (BVLOS) communications. This makes it suitable for operations where conventional GPS may be disrupted. Its versatile launch capability allows deployment from ground or maritime platforms, with field setup and launch achievable in under 30 minutes by only two personnel.
Speaking on his company’s achievement, Attis Aviation CEO Mark Koltun emphasized the ROC’s potential to serve a wide range of missions, including intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), logistics resupply, border patrol and firefighting support.
Israeli defense experts, including sources familiar with ROC integration and operational evaluations, highlight the tactical agility that VTOL UAVs provide to forces operating in complex terrain. Without the need for runways, infantry, armored, artillery and special operations units can rapidly launch and recover the ROC to gain immediate situational awareness and maintain operational independence in both urban and remote environments. The latest developments in ROC’s design reflect broader trends in hybrid UAV technologies and loitering munitions that enhance mission range, payload flexibility and rapid deployment crucial for the Israeli Defense Forces and global operators.
This maiden flight sets the stage for further technical validation of Attis Aviation’s ROC. Koltun announced the commencement of the next phase in rigorous flight testing. Perhaps more importantly, the ROC’s successful launch also signals a new class of high-end VTOL drone capability where long endurance, multi-mission versatility and deployment speed are core features of next-generation unmanned platforms, not just trade offs.