German company Quantum Systems announced on Thursday, May 28, 2026, that it had received an order from the Romanian Ministry of National Defence for Vector AI reconnaissance drones, to be financed under the SAFE (Security Action for Europe) loan program.
Photo: Quantum Systems
The contract marks the first SAFE-funded project involving Quantum Systems and further strengthens the company’s role in supporting European efforts to enhance defense readiness and industrial resilience. Importantly, these will be additional Vector AI systems, which are already in use with the Romanian Armed Forces.
The SAFE program, adopted by the Council of the European Union in May 2025, was established to accelerate European defense readiness through large-scale investment in critical military capabilities, while also strengthening the European defense technological and industrial base.
The newly signed contract expands the existing fleet of Vector AI drones in the Romanian Armed Forces and further strengthens Quantum Systems’ presence in Romania. The systems will support tactical reconnaissance and surveillance missions and complement ongoing industrial cooperation in the country.
“The systems contracted today are in addition to those already in service with the Romanian Armed Forces and complement the ongoing co-production project in Romania,” said Romania’s Acting Minister of Defence, Radu Miruță.
Martin Karkour, Chief Revenue Officer at Quantum Systems, said:
“SAFE represents an important step toward strengthening Europe’s defence readiness through scalable procurement and industrial cooperation. We are proud that Romania has selected Quantum Systems as part of one of the first SAFE-supported projects.”
“This project also demonstrates how rapidly deployable European systems can contribute to SAFE-supported capability development,” he further added.
The order also reflects Quantum Systems’ broader strategy of supporting European technological sovereignty through locally integrated, operationally proven unmanned systems and long-term industrial partnerships across the continent.
Quantum Systems’ tactical Vector AI is a combat-proven, medium-range, electric eVTOL reconnaissance unmanned aircraft system that is widely used operationally, including in Ukraine since 2022, where it has logged hundreds of thousands of flight hours. Integrated with the MOSAIC UXS software suite, the quiet electric platform provides real-time intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) data and combines fixed-wing endurance with the flexibility of vertical takeoff and landing.
Built around a modular system architecture with embedded machine-learning/artificial intelligence capabilities, Vector AI enables reliable operation in complex environments while reducing operator workload. The system can also be converted into a multicopter configuration using the same core hardware, software and user interface.
Two NVIDIA Jetson Orin modules process imagery in flight from the Raptor 360° electro-optical payload, which includes a laser rangefinder, as well as from fixed cameras. Object detection, classification and tracking take place in real time, significantly reducing operator workload. The system can operate in GNSS/GPS-denied environments.
Vector AI can conduct flights lasting more than 180 minutes over distances of up to 25 km, using S-band communications. It has a wingspan of approximately 2.8 m and reaches a cruising speed of 53 km/h and a maximum speed of 72 km/h. Its takeoff weight is 9.5 kg. The aircraft is resistant to wind gusts of up to 10–12 m/s, can operate at altitudes of up to 4,000 m, and has IP55 weather resistance. In the multicopter configuration, flight time decreases to approximately 45 minutes, while takeoff weight is around 8 kg.
It can carry payloads such as the WASP acoustic sensor for detecting artillery fire, as well as electronic warfare (EW) and signals intelligence (SIGINT) systems. It is fully compatible with C2 command systems such as ATAK, SitaWare, Kropyva and others.
In April this year, the US Army decided to purchase Vector AI systems for 15.4 million USD (US Army).
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