MBF Group S.A. has efficiently accomplished the primary sequence of operational checks for his or her MALLARD-S (“Little Mallard”) unmanned transport system in December 2025. The trials characterize a major milestone in growing sensible unmanned cargo options for business logistics operations.
MALLARD-S System Meets SAIL III Necessities
The take a look at marketing campaign was particularly designed to validate the MALLARD-S system’s functionality to carry out operations assembly SAIL III (Particular Assurance & Integrity Degree) below the European Union Aviation Security Company’s SORA methodology. This classification signifies operations with larger complexity and threat ranges, sometimes related to logistics, infrastructure purposes, and difficult operational environments.
The MALLARD-S serves as a practical bridge platform reasonably than a theoretical idea. In keeping with MBF Group representatives, the system permits the corporate to “validate operational procedures, reliability and the economics of unmanned cargo transport” in circumstances carefully matching future business eventualities.
Sensible Implementation Focus
The acquisition of a ready-made UAV system has enabled MBF Group to conduct checks below lifelike market circumstances whereas constructing organizational capability for superior challenge phases. These phases will contain bigger unmanned platforms able to transporting heavier masses throughout prolonged distances.
“This permits us to organize the following levels of the MALLARD challenge in a sensible manner, together with scaling options, talks with market companions and designing goal working fashions for unmanned cargo,” MBF Group emphasised.
Potential customers embody logistics and courier operators managing distribution hub connections, warehouse and intermodal terminal managers, industrial and vitality firms, e-commerce operators, and organizations offering medical and humanitarian deliveries to distant areas.
2026 Improvement Timeline
Extra MALLARD-S take a look at flights are scheduled for early 2026, incorporating relevant aviation laws and operational circumstances. Improvement continues on larger-scale platforms whereas the consortium prepares cooperation fashions with trade companions enthusiastic about taking part in future challenge levels.
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Ian McNabb is a journalist specializing in drone expertise and way of life content material at Dronelife. He’s based mostly between Boston and NH and, when not writing, enjoys climbing and Boston space sports activities.