Avilus’ third-generation Grille X4 rescue drone completed its maiden flight in November 2025, marking the latest step in Germany’s effort to field an uncrewed medical evacuation platform for combat and degraded environments.
The twelve-rotor multicopter is designed to carry an injured soldier in a dedicated medical bay and to operate with a mobile control centre and trailer-based support package. Avilus positions the system for casualty collection point missions, autonomous return-to-base profiles and medical transport in areas too dangerous for helicopters or ground vehicles.
The programme is linked to the RasVac concept, also described as DronEvac, and was demonstrated with the Bundeswehr for the NATO STO in Manching on 30 August 2024. That flight used a Grille 9X-02 variant and showed autonomous navigation to a casualty collection point, patient loading and recovery.
Open-source material places Grille at 750 kg maximum take-off weight, with a 51 km range, 86 kph cruise speed and 20 to 45 minutes of endurance.