Army will get unusual drones on solar panels: can fly three days in a row

This will provide the Navy with excellent intelligence and observation opportunities. Unmanned aerial vehicles will also be provided by military communication in large areas, which is especially useful when awareness of what is happening in hard -to -reach or contested combat areas is required. K1000ul is a modern sun-electric vertical runway (VTOL) unmanned air system. It operates through an electric engine that feeds on solar energy. For this purpose, UAV is equipped with onboard solar panels.

The developers claim that the drone can be in the air up to 24 hours, and was tested in operating conditions at an altitude of 6096 m. In 2023, KHA recorded a continuous drone flight for 75 hours and 53 minutes. Such drones are sometimes called "pseudo -satellites" as they can provide constant observation and signal transmission services. Various other companies are working on similar projects, such as Airbus, VAE and Boeing. K1000UL was selected by the US Navy after a number of trials.

He went around competitors by many criteria. For example, the military liked the high level of maneuverability, operational autonomy, endurance and silence. The assessment of the devices was carried out at a specialized center in partnership with the research and operating center at the University of Maryland.

The K1000ul drone is designed to exchange critical data between a whole network of platforms, which allows it to track the movement of aircraft in real time based on the introduction of sensors. This feature allows you to dynamically update the overall picture during missions. The device can also operate in the swarm, managing several same drones through a convenient interface.

The task of the operator is to identify specific areas for flight and start the appropriate number of aircraft to perform tasks that can change dynamically. This gives full awareness of the situation, and the operator can reassemble UAVs in real time, changing coordinates, objectives and goals. Earlier, we wrote that the combat drones need to be strongly cheaper to replace soldiers in battle. The land drone can cost $ 100,000, and the Russian soldier only needs to pay $ 1700 a month.