Charles Alcock is managing editor of the AIN Media Group, having rejoined the company in 2019. He has been an aviation journalist since 1986, and previously worked for AIN from 1990 to 2017, most recently as editor-in-chief. His main focus is on covering new aviation technology and business models, as well as international news.
Having been raised in the London area, Alcock studied at the University of Manchester in the UK and earned an honors degree in Politics and Modern History. He speaks English and French, and some German.

Managing Editor

Charles Alcock

Honeywell Aerospace’s TPE331 turboprop engine will power a multi-mission uncrewed air system (UAS) being developed by Swarm Aero. The first propulsion system has already been supplied to be installed on what Swarm said on June 9 will be a production-ready aircraft. Swarm has not confirmed the size, payload, and range of its UAS, but said that it falls within the Group 5 class defined by the U.S. Department of Defense.
This would generally include designs weighing more than 1,320 pounds, with a payload greater than 1,000 pounds and the ability to operate above 18,000 feet. According to the California-based company, it is contracted under multiple unspecified Pentagon contracts.
The U.S. government is prioritizing investment in developing large drones for high-altitude, long-endurance applications with the ability to carry multi-sensor payloads, including radar, electro-optical cameras, and satellite communications equipment. Strike capability with precision-guided weapons is also on its wishlist.
The TPE331 family of engines, which entered service in the 1960s, covers power output ratings of between 575 and 1,650 shp. Swarm Aero did not say which model Honeywell will supply for its Group 5 UAS.
“When we evaluated our options, we were looking for an engine manufacturer that saw us as more than a customer, and we found exactly that in Honeywell,” said Swarm co-founder and CEO Peter Kalogiannis. “The TPE331 is a proven, cost-effective, high-performance engine with an extraordinary legacy, and we’re proud to build our aircraft around it.”
The TPE331-10 version of the engine powers General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft, which can fly for up to 34 hours. This is in service with the U.S. military and several allies for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions.
Honeywell has delivered more than 13,000 engines that have logged upwards of 122 million flight hours on multiple civil and military aircraft. “The defense landscape is shifting toward collaborative, distributed, and autonomous operations, where delivering capability at scale is as critical as innovation itself,” commented Matt Milas, president of Honeywell’s defense and space division.

News and issues relating to civil and military unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) of all kinds and sizes, including those used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), combat (unmanned combat air vehicles, or UCAVs), law enforcement, research and other applications. Of particular focus is the FAA's planned integration of UAS into the U.S. national airspace system.

Honeywell’s TPE331 Engine Will Power Swarm Aero’s Large Military Drone

Swarm says it is now building production-ready uncrewed air system

Swarm Aero has taken delivery of the first Honeywell TP331 turboprop engine that will power the Group 5 drone it is developing for U.S. military applications.

TPE331 Engine Will Power Swarm Aero’s Large Military Drone

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