Hydrogen-powered Z1 UAS enters U.S. Army acquisition pipeline. Heven AeroTech has secured a Basic Ordering Agreement (BOA) with the U.S. Army Contracting Command - Redstone Arsenal for its Z1 hydrogen-powered unmanned aircraft system and supporting hydrogen generation systems. Hydrogen-powered Z1 enters Army acquisition pipeline. Effective January 2026, the BOA establishes a streamlined contract vehicle for Army units to acquire the Z1 and associated hydrogen infrastructure through the U.S. Army UAS Project Office. The agreement leverages the Z1's status as a Blue UAS Select platform, aligning the system with Department of Defense requirements for secure, domestically aligned unmanned aircraft. "This agreement represents an important step in reducing procurement friction for Army units seeking advanced UAS capabilities," said Michael Buscher, Heven AeroTech President of U.S. Operations. "Hydrogen-powered systems offer extended endurance, logistical flexibility, and reduced dependency on traditional fuel and battery supply chains." Focus on long-endurance UAS operations. Heven AeroTech positions the Z1 as a hydrogen-powered, runway-independent drone engineered for mission-critical missions that require long endurance and flexible payload options. Hydrogen fuel supports extended flight times compared to conventional battery-powered platforms and enables rapid refueling through dedicated hydrogen generation systems in the field. The BOA is intended to support rapid deployment, technology maturation, testing and evaluation, system integration, fielding, sustainment, and modernization of Z1-based UAS capabilities across Army units. According to Buscher, "Through this BOA, we are positioned to provide Army units with a pre-negotiated acquisition pathway to Heven's systems, enabling faster procurement and accelerating our ability to support evolving mission requirements with resilient, domestically aligned technology." Alignment with U.S. drone policy. The agreement aligns with the Administration's Executive Order on "Unleashing American Drone Dominance," which emphasizes strengthening U.S. drone capabilities and the domestic industrial base. Heven AeroTech is headquartered in Sterling, Virginia, and designs, manufactures, and deploys unmanned systems for defense, commercial, and humanitarian applications. The company describes its platforms as combining endurance, stealth, and modularity, with core systems designed and built in the United States and operational deployments worldwide. More information on Heven Drones is available from their website.

Scott howell joins Heven advisory board. 0 Comments On February 18, Heven AeroTech announced that it has welcomed Lieutenant General (Ret.) Scott A. Howell to its advisory board. With more than three decades of distinguished service in the United States Air Force, Gen. Howell brings unparalleled leadership experience across joint, interagency, and multinational operations; experience that aligns directly with Heven's mission to deliver next-generation, mission-ready aerospace solutions, the company said. Most recently, Gen. Howell served as the 15th Commander of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), where he oversaw highly specialized forces across the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps, and was responsible for global operational readiness and mission execution across multiple theaters. Prior to that role, he served as Vice Commander of U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), working closely with the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Staff, and interagency partners to shape strategic priorities and future capabilities. Throughout his career, Gen. Howell deployed extensively in support of U.S. and allied operations, including assignments in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Kuwait, Bosnia, Kosovo, Haiti, Mozambique, Djibouti, and Somalia. His depth of operational insight and systems-level perspective will be invaluable as Heven continues to scale hydrogen-powered, long-endurance platforms designed for complex and austere environments. Keep up with your competitors by following notable executive moves across the IC contracting space - become a paid subscriber to IC News.

Heven AeroTech, a developer of hydrogen-powered Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), has secured a $100 million Series B funding round, which...