CSG just planted its flag in central Wisconsin. The Czech industrial powerhouse, through its U.S. arm and a new outfit called Firecrest Aerospace, plans to sink up to $15 million into a facility at Stevens Point Municipal Airport. Assembly starts within months. Full manufacturing follows in 2027. The goal? Build small turbojet and turbofan engines for drones, loitering munitions and target systems. And do it on American soil.
Call it a calculated beachhead. Supply Chain Realities Drive the Move
Drones dominate modern battlefields. The war in Ukraine proved that beyond doubt. Yet Western forces still scramble for reliable propulsion. Off-the-shelf parts from uncertain suppliers won’t cut it. CSG sees the opening. Its new subsidiary AviaNera Technologies, launched in 2025, already snapped up a majority stake in Serbia’s MUST Solutions for propulsion expertise. Yahoo Finance first detailed the Wisconsin project on July 22, 2026. Output will scale from hundreds of engines a year to thousands. Jobs? Up to 125 over three years.
But why Wisconsin? Proximity to potential Pentagon customers. Access to skilled aerospace labor. And a fast track into the U.S. defense supply chain. “Drones are no longer a side quest in defense,” the announcement stressed. “If drones matter, the components inside them matter too.” Simple. Direct. True.
These aren’t toy motors. Small turbojets and turbofans dictate range, speed, payload and reliability. They must survive harsh conditions and deliver at low cost. CSG’s bet rests on decades of Czech aviation know-how. The group, owned by entrepreneur Michal Strnad, has expanded aggressively into defense. AviaNera forms one pillar. A parallel push with Ukraine’s Armor company on missile and drone engines, reported on X in June 2026, shows the breadth.
Yet combustion engines tell only part of the story. Hybrid systems gain ground fast. Consider Houston-based Cellen H2. Its H2-6 drone flies 150 minutes. Triple the endurance of typical battery models. “This increased flight time and payload is made possible by a hybrid propulsion system that combines a compressed hydrogen tank, a fuel cell stack, and a lithium-polymer (LiPo) battery,” CEO Roberto Yelin told Commercial UAV News in November 2025. The fuel cell runs clean. Water vapor is the only byproduct. The battery handles peaks and startup. Payload reaches 10 pounds. Sensors include high-end lidar, 120-megapixel cameras and gas imagers. Perfect for oil and gas inspections or wildlife surveys. Quiet. Low thermal signature. NDAA compliant.
Yelin didn’t sugarcoat early struggles. “We tried many vendors of hydrogen fuel cells that promised great performance, just to discover that the requirements of an aircraft are way too much for traditional fuel cells that are not designed for the output and the demands of flight.” So Cellen built its own path. First deliveries targeted for early 2026. Production ramps to five systems a month by third quarter. The company sells more than hardware. It pushes refueling infrastructure and turnkey operations. “Cellen isn’t just building drones. It’s developing the infrastructure to support them,” Yelin added.
Market forecasters back the trend. Hybrid UAV demand could hit $1.7 billion by 2030, up from $761 million in 2024. A 14.4 percent compound annual growth rate, according to MarketsandMarkets. Fuel cells bring quiet operation and low emissions. Hydrogen platforms promise dense energy for long missions. Defense, energy infrastructure, agriculture and disaster response all pull hard. Beyond-visual-line-of-sight rules loosen. Payloads grow heavier. Sustainability pressures mount.
But challenges remain. Hydrogen storage, refueling networks, regulatory hurdles. Cellen’s hybrid sidesteps some issues by blending technologies. CSG sticks closer to traditional jet power. Both address the same core problem: battery limits that cap most commercial drones at 20 to 40 minutes. So the industry splits. One path refines combustion for speed and range in contested airspace. Another bets on electrochemical systems for endurance and green credentials.
CSG’s U.S. entry carries political weight. Congress pushes domestic sourcing. Recent export controls and ally-shoring initiatives favor friends like the Czech Republic over riskier suppliers. The Wisconsin plant starts with assembly and testing for American clients. Engineering and full production come later. A smart hedge against tariffs or supply disruptions.
Meanwhile CSG accelerates elsewhere. Its 2025 acquisition of 51 percent of MUST Solutions set the stage for European output. Hundreds of engines expected this year. The Serbian tie adds low-cost capacity and specialized designs. AviaNera’s website touts synergy across the group. Engines, electronics, even warheads. A one-stop shop for unmanned systems.
Defense analysts watch closely. Loitering munitions redefined attrition warfare in Ukraine. Target drones train crews for real threats. Both need cheap, reliable power plants in volume. CSG positions for exactly that. Firecrest Aerospace isn’t just another factory. It’s a statement. America needs friends who can deliver propulsion at scale.
Will it work? Timelines look aggressive. 2027 for full production. Yet CSG moved fast on MUST and AviaNera. The group knows heavy industry. Its automotive and rail units prove manufacturing discipline. Still, aerospace certification is no small feat. Especially for defense-grade engines.
Hybrid advocates like Yelin see a different future. Longer flights. Fewer landings. Missions that stretch hours instead of minutes. “We offer frictionless refueling solutions and hydrogen ecosystem services,” he said. Infrastructure matters as much as the vehicle. Cellen plans modular payloads for rapid swaps between inspection and mapping roles. Commercial operators in telecom and construction already line up.
The two approaches don’t cancel each other. They complement. Turbojets for high-speed strike. Hybrids for persistent surveillance. Together they erode the battery-only ceiling that held back drones for years. And both need American manufacturing presence to win big Pentagon contracts.
Stevens Point could become a quiet hub. Airport access helps with testing. Local workforce gets new opportunities. CSG gains a U.S. address that reassures buyers wary of European-only suppliers. The broader trend is clear. Propulsion innovation now decides who flies longest, fastest and cheapest. CSG placed its wager. Cellen and others chase the hydrogen route. The winners will supply the next decade of unmanned flight.
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