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The announcement was made at the Windracers LAUNCH 2026 event in central London, where chief executive Simon Muderack confirmed that the aircraft can be configured to carry a 200kg payload over the full 2,000km range. The upgrade builds on ULTRA’s existing long-range logistics and operational profile, which has already seen it deployed in some of the world’s most demanding environments.

Founder and chairman Stephen Wright said demand for the platform is increasing across defence, humanitarian, research and civil air cargo roles, with new missions scheduled to begin later this month. The event was attended by MPs, government officials and representatives from international research and innovation bodies.

Demonstrations during the launch included a fully autonomous flight mission at Llanbedr Airfield in North Wales, highlighting Windracers’ focus on autonomous aviation and long-endurance operations. The company also showcased ULTRA’s drop-floor logistics capability, designed to support resupply missions in remote or contested locations.

Windracers’ head of engineering, Konstantinos Kontogiannis, confirmed that the aircraft can already carry more than 100kg over 2,000km, with the 200kg configuration expected to be available in the coming months. Head of manufacturing Joe Roberts outlined plans to scale production, with facilities being expanded to support the manufacture of hundreds of ULTRA aircraft over the next two years.

ULTRA is already in active use in regions including Ukraine, Alaska, Central Africa and the polar regions, supporting logistics, research and operational tasks in austere environments. The aircraft has also been deployed at Rothera Research Station in Antarctica, the UK’s largest research facility on the continent.

Stephen Wright said the new endurance milestone places ULTRA among a small group of long-range unmanned systems shaping future air operations. “With its combination of heavy-lift capability and 2,000km range now in development, Windracers ULTRA sits among a select group of long-endurance UAS that are redefining what is possible in both civil and defence operations,” he said. “Windracers is pushing the boundaries to make dual-use heavy-lift  a cost-effective, reliable and safe aviation system for those who need it most.”