Elroy sets up 1st overseas Chaparral production site with Barq Group

Elroy Air will team with United Arab Emirates-based logistics company Barq Group to launch the first international production site for its autonomous vertical take-off and landing drone. The San Francisco-based drone developer anticipates completing the initial outline for the joint venture and receiving the required regulatory approvals in the second half of the year, Chief Executive Andrew Clare told Cargo Facts . Production of the Chaparral drone is set to begin at the new $200 million facility in Abu Dhabi by 2028. [caption id="attachment_57294316" align="alignright" width="1473"] Elroy Air plans to start volume production of the Chaparral in 2027. (Courtesy/Elroy Air)[/caption] The Chaparral can transport up to 500 pounds of cargo over 300 miles. The joint venture reflects the interest Clare shares with Barq Group CEO Ahmed AlMazrui in supporting the autonomous vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) drone. AlMazrui launched the Barq Group in December 2020 to promote smart mobility and middle-mile logistics in the Middle East and North Africa. “Ahmed AlMazrui and the Barq Group are an incredible partner,” Clare said. “Ahmed has shared our vision for long-range, heavy-payload drone delivery for many years. As the UAE’s first approved drone delivery service provider, Barq has broken records for the longest-range drone deliveries in the UAE and has regulatory approvals to conduct middle-mile missions tailor-made for the Chaparral.” One step closer to production The joint venture creates a second Chaparral production site for Elroy, which signed a five-year deal with San Diego-based Kratos Defense and Security Solutions in the fourth quarter of 2025 to become the exclusive manufacturer of the Chaparral VTOL in the United States . “We will build pre-production aircraft with Kratos here in 2026, then start volume production in 2027,” Clare told Cargo Facts . Kratos will launch production at its facility in Sacramento, Calif., and over time transition assembly of to the high-rate production site in Oklahoma City, Elroy said. Clare previously told Cargo Facts that collaborating with Kratos, which has produced and delivered thousands of uncrewed aircraft, makes sense because the manufacturer recently expanded production capabilities, enabling it to accelerate Elroy’s Chaparral deliveries, and has a well-established and reliable supply chain. Recent milestones The Chaparral completed its first point-A-to-point-B delivery on Dec. 10, 2025, carrying 213 pounds over 2.6 miles in Byron, Calif., according to a Dec. 18, 2025, release. The prototype completed a vertical liftoff from Byron Airport before accelerating to 60 mph, flying the 2.6-mile route before vertically landing at a second location half a mile away, the release said. Elroy’s VTOL drone achieved a new horizontal speed record of 70 miles per hour in Q3 2025, after completing its first test flight in November 2023. Elroy has a combined order backlog with military and commercial customers for about 1,500 Chaparral drones. Houston-based Bristow Group will be one of the first customers to take delivery of the drone after placing deposits on five of the first production units . FedEx , AYR Logistics and Mesa Airlines are among other customers that have placed orders for the Chaparral. Cargo Facts will present four invaluable events for airfreight professionals in the first half of 2026, starting with Cargo Facts LATAM, on Feb. 10-12. To see the agendas and register for the events, visit CargoFactsEvents.com .

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