CONTRIBUTED ARTICLE
This thought-provoking contribution from Dufour Aerospace highlights a theme Defence Alternatives will be actively pursuing in the Robotics channel in coming months: how are financial, manufacturing and operational pressures driving the increasing tendency to draw on commercial drone technologies and capabilities to service defence and security operational roles?
Dual-use capabilities: Why civil and military applications matter for the future of uncrewed aircraft systems – Community insights and Aero-200’s design show why dual use is becoming essential
Across the globe, defence budgets are rising. In 2025 alone, spending on uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) has been estimated to reach $8.2 billion, with the US leading investments at $1.9 billion (Shephard Group, 2025). And this rise is all about efficiency, innovation and resilience.
After all, dual use capability – the ability for a system to serve both civil and defence applications – has become a decisive factor in the development and adoption of UAS.
At Dufour Aerospace, we believe that the next generation of eVTOL aircraft must be designed with dual-use in mind. Our Aero-200 tilt-wing drone embodies this philosophy, offering adaptability across industries while maintaining uncompromising safety and compliance.
What our drone and aviation community thinks about dual use
To better understand perceptions around this topic, we asked our social media community how important dual-use capability is when evaluating uncrewed aircraft developments. On LinkedIn, 43% of respondents said dual use is essential for investment, 33% said it is context dependent and 19% described it as important but not a top priority. Only 5% preferred single use designs.
On X, formerly Twitter, results diverged, with 40% calling dual use essential and 60% expressing a preference for single use only.
The clear trend: On LinkedIn, nearly half see dual use as essential, with very few dismissing it. The divergence on X highlights how perspectives can vary across audiences, reinforcing why the conversation is so relevant today.
The benefits of dual use capabilities across markets
Designing drones for both civil and defence applications provides clear benefits for operators, investors, and end users.
By sharing research and development, training and production resources across both markets, organizations can lower unit costs and improve overall returns on investment. Dual use design also enhances resilience, as lessons learned in defence settings can strengthen reliability in public safety missions or industrial logistics.
Innovation accelerates as well, since technology developed for one sector can be adapted to the other (military-grade advancements often find valuable civil uses, while commercial breakthroughs can enhance defence performance). Finally, dual use platforms open access to broader markets, enabling faster adoption, larger production runs and more robust support infrastructure.
Together, these advantages make dual use drone development a powerful strategy for driving efficiency, resilience, innovation and long-term growth across both civil and defence markets.
Aero-200: Built for dual use
At Dufour Aerospace, dual use is a core design principle.
Our Aero-200 tilt-wing UAS is engineered to adapt seamlessly across mission profiles, ranging from civil applications such as medical deliveries, critical spare parts transport, infrastructure inspection and environmental monitoring, to public safety and disaster relief operations, including rapid deployment in emergency zones or areas affected by avalanches and hurricanes. It also serves defence and security needs, supporting cost-effective logistics, surveillance and tactical resupply.
By combining vertical takeoff capability with efficient fixed-wing flight and a hybrid-electric powertrain, Aero-200 delivers the endurance, reliability and mission flexibility needed in both civil and defence contexts.
The road ahead
As European defence and civil aviation sectors converge on dual-use priorities, the case for flexible, scalable and resilient uncrewed systems is stronger than ever. Our poll confirms what we see in conversations with customers and partners: dual use is increasingly viewed as a ‘must have’, not a ‘nice to have.’
At Dufour Aerospace, we are committed to building aircraft that embody this principle; serving critical missions where trucks cannot reach, helicopters are too costly and time is of the essence.
Learn more about Aero-200 and its dual-use capabilities: https://www.dufour.aero/Aero-200
