At the recent Commercial UAV Conference in Las Vegas, I had the opportunity to sit down with Igal Yarmolinsky, VP of Sales at CopterPIX, an Israeli-based drone manufacturer that’s making waves in the industry. Since its founding in 2014, CopterPIX has grown from a small company into a leading provider of high-performance drones designed for both military and civilian applications. The company’s rise to prominence was marked by its exclusive contract with the Israeli Ministry of Defense, a deal that positioned CopterPIX as a serious player in the drone market.
“We started manufacturing our own drones in 2018, and since then, we’ve secured several major tenders, including one where we beat industry giants like IAI, Elbit Systems and Rafael,” Yarmolinsky explained. As a result, CopterPIX is now the exclusive supplier of drones under 25 kilograms for the Ministry of Defense through 2027.
CopterPIX’s Hybrid Parallel Drone
One of the key factors that differentiates CopterPIX from competitors is its 360-degree turnkey solution. This approach allows the company to handle all aspects of drone production in-house, from design to manufacturing, ensuring rapid customization based on customer needs. “We don’t outsource anything. Every component and system is built and integrated by our team, which allows us to offer drones that can operate in challenging conditions, such as GPS-denied environments, spoofing attempts or areas without LTE coverage,” Yarmolinsky said.
At the conference, CopterPIX unveiled its latest innovation – the Rhino hybrid parallel drone. Unlike most hybrid drones that rely primarily on electric motors, this new model combines two combustion engines with four electric motors, enabling it to lift heavier payloads over longer distances. “Right now, we can lift 20 kilograms for apx. 50Km, but by mid-2025, we’ll be able to carry up to 100 kilograms for a distance of 100 kilometers & 2 hours endurance,” Yarmolinsky noted. This advancement is expected to have far-reaching implications, particularly for industries such as oil and gas, where long-range inspections and supply deliveries are crucial to current operations.
