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Across the globe, defense budgets are rising. In 2025 alone, spending on uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) has been estimated to reach $8.2 billion, with the US leading investments at $1.9 billion (Shephard Group, 2025). And this rise is all about efficiency, innovation, and resilience.
After all, dual-use capability, the ability for a system to serve both civil and defense applications, has become a decisive factor in the development and adoption of UAS.
At Dufour Aerospace, we believe that the next generation of eVTOL aircraft must be designed with dual-use in mind. Our Aero-200 tilt-wing drone embodies this philosophy, offering adaptability across industries while maintaining uncompromising safety and compliance.
To better understand perceptions around this topic, we asked our social media community how important dual-use capability is when evaluating uncrewed aircraft developments.
On LinkedIn, 43 percent of respondents said dual use is essential for investment. 33 percent said it is context dependent, and 19 percent described it as important but not a top priority. Only 5 percent preferred single use designs.
On X, formerly Twitter, results diverged with 40 percent calling dual use essential, while 60 percent expressed a preference for single use only.
The clear trend: On LinkedIn, nearly half see dual-use as essential, with very few dismissing it. The divergence on X highlights how perspectives can vary across audiences, reinforcing why the conversation is so relevant today.
Designing drones for both civil and defense applications provides clear benefits for operators, investors, and end users.
By sharing research and development, training, and production resources across both markets, organizations can lower per-unit costs and improve overall returns on investment. Dual-use design also enhances resilience, as lessons learned in defense settings can strengthen reliability in public safety missions or industrial logistics.
Innovation accelerates as well, since technology developed for one sector can be adapted to the other (military-grade advancements often find valuable civil uses, while commercial breakthroughs can enhance defense performance). Finally, dual-use platforms open access to broader markets, enabling faster adoption, larger production runs, and more robust support infrastructure.
Together, these advantages make dual-use drone development a powerful strategy for driving efficiency, resilience, innovation, and long-term growth across both civil and defense markets.
At Dufour Aerospace, dual use is a core design principle.
Our Aero-200 tilt-wing UAS is engineered to adapt seamlessly across mission profiles, ranging from civil applications such as medical deliveries, critical spare parts transport, infrastructure inspection, and environmental monitoring, to public safety and disaster relief operations including rapid deployment in emergency zones or areas affected by avalanches and hurricanes. It also serves defense and security needs, supporting cost-effective logistics, surveillance, and tactical resupply.
By combining vertical takeoff capability with efficient fixed-wing flight and a hybrid-electric powertrain, Aero-200 delivers the endurance, reliability, and mission flexibility needed in both civil and defense contexts.
As European defense and civil aviation sectors converge on dual-use priorities, the case for flexible, scalable, and resilient uncrewed systems is stronger than ever. Our poll confirms what we see in conversations with customers and partners: dual-use is increasingly viewed as a must-have, not a nice-to-have.
At Dufour Aerospace, we are committed to building aircraft that embody this principle; serving critical missions where trucks cannot reach, helicopters are too costly, and time is of the essence.
Learn more about Aero-200 and its dual-use capabilities: https://www.dufour.aero/Aero-200
Dufour Aerospace is pioneering drones for critical missions. Based in Switzerland, Dufour Aerospace develops and manufactures efficient and sustainable aircraft for cargo transportation, logistics, and public safety. The Aero-200 drone features distributed electric propulsion and a hybrid module to meet today’s Advanced Air Mobility and medium-sized drone market requirements.
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ABOUT DUFOUR AEROSPACE:
Dufour Aerospace is pioneering drones for critical missions. Based in Switzerland, Dufour develops and manufactures efficient and sustainable aircraft for cargo transportation, logistics, and public safety. The Aero-200 drone features distributed electric propulsion and a hybrid module to meet today’s Advanced Air Mobility and medium-sized drone market requirements.