Holland built his first submarine in 1878, it was 1900 before the US Navy adopted his design. That's not very encouraging for the prospective UAV inventors.
I've nothing against the idea of blokes engaging in such projects in their sheds, but the notion that such a prototype would be adopted by the AC is wildly optimistic at best.
The AC does not fund the development of new aircraft, it buys from existing aircraft manufacturers who are able to provide the necessary training, spare parts & after-sales tech support. For the Irish design to stand a chance in a hypothetical tender for UAV's, it would have to be the product of such a company.
So, the inventors in question would have to do one of two things:
1. They open their own production facility, start cranking out the UAV's & flogging them to other prospective clients to build up the necessary reputation required for serious consideration.
2. They licence their design to an existing company which can then build & market it.
Either way, it's far different from a group of guys ringing the Don, asking for the GOC & then trying to flog him a UAV.
