Iveda to demo autonomous helicopter for defence buyers
Mon, 26th Oct 2026 (Today)
Iveda and GlobalMed will hold a live flight demonstration of the GX11 IvedaAir unmanned helicopter in Mesa for government and defence stakeholders assessing autonomous aerial systems.
The invitation-only event will show the aircraft in flight, carrying cargo and sending live aerial video to IvedaAI for real-time analysis. Attendees are expected to include representatives from federal, state and local agencies, defence contractors, strategic partners and prospective users.
Iveda describes the GX11 as a fuel-powered unmanned helicopter built for long-range, heavy-lift missions. It has a 19-mile line-of-sight range, a maximum payload of 26 pounds and up to three hours of endurance when carrying 13 pounds.
The demonstration comes as more US public safety agencies gain approval for drone-as-first-responder programmes. More than 1,000 agencies are now cleared by the Federal Aviation Administration for such operations, and daily drone use in public safety is expected to triple over the next five years, according to Iveda.
That backdrop is helping drive demand for longer-endurance systems that can operate beyond short battery cycles. Iveda is positioning the GX11 for emergency response, public safety, defence, maritime security, critical infrastructure, and operations in remote or hard-to-access areas.
Live video from the flight will be fed into IvedaAI, which will analyse the footage and flag alerts during the exercise. The aim is to show how autonomous flight and software-based video analysis can work together in an active operational setting.
Iveda launched IvedaAir in August and said it has drawn interest from government agencies, large defence and aerospace groups, and commercial organisations. It linked that interest to broader growth in the military drone market, which it valued at about USD $35 billion this year and projected to reach USD $109.22 billion by 2031.
GlobalMed is acting as Iveda's strategic government partner for the programme. Under the arrangement, agencies can evaluate and procure the aircraft through the Defence Logistics Agency's Tailored Logistics Support contract vehicle.
The partnership adds a government procurement route to what is otherwise a product demonstration. For agencies, the event is intended to move discussions beyond product specifications and into technical assessment, pilot programmes and potential purchasing decisions.
“This demonstration moves IvedaAir from introduction to real-world operation,” said David Ly, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Iveda. “Government and defense teams don't adopt new technology from a data sheet. They adopt it after they've watched it perform. This is that moment for IvedaAir.”
GlobalMed is better known for telehealth systems than aviation technology, but it says its role is to help government buyers bring operational tools into service. Agencies already use its channels to source mission-ready technology, it added.
“GlobalMed has spent more than two decades building the pathways government agencies rely on to field mission-ready technology,” said Joel E. Barthelemy, Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of GlobalMed. “This demonstration gives them a firsthand look at how that same trusted pathway now extends to autonomous aerial intelligence, and we're honored to work alongside Iveda to make it happen.”