The U.S. Navy has accomplished a profitable three-day nonstop flight of a solar-powered unmanned aerial system (UAS), in accordance with a Naval Air Warfare Heart Plane Division (NAWCAD) replace issued on 29 July.
Carried out in partnership with Skydweller Aero, the 73-hour steady flight from Stennis, Mississippi, demonstrated the Skydweller UAS’s potential to maintain solar-powered flight whereas sustaining communications, autonomous operation, and responsiveness to altering climate situations.
“This demonstration is a first-rate instance of how NAWCAD companions with business to ship what the fleet wants,” stated Rear Admiral Todd Evans, Commander of NAWCAD. “It additionally displays the technical depth of our workforce and our potential to translate concepts into functionality.”
The check validated Skydweller’s vitality administration system, exhibiting that it might obtain a optimistic vitality stability whereas in flight. It additionally confirmed the platform’s suitability for integration into maritime intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) networks.
“Integrating Skydweller into the Navy’s ISR structure creates a layered and resilient community that maximizes the capabilities of all our belongings,” stated Invoice Macchione, Particular Function UAS lead at NAWCAD. “This collaborative strategy ensures we have now the appropriate platform for the appropriate mission, optimizing our sources and enhancing our general maritime area consciousness.”
The Skydweller UAS is designed for wide-area, persistent surveillance. Its potential to stay airborne for days with out refueling allows conventional manned or high-performance programs to deal with time-sensitive or technically demanding missions.
NAWCAD started experimenting with Skydweller in 2020 in response to operational challenges confronted by U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), together with illicit trafficking and border safety. The persistent flight functionality helps efforts to observe giant maritime areas constantly, offering U.S. and allied forces with improved situational consciousness.
Additional testing of the Skydweller platform is deliberate for later this summer season inside SOUTHCOM’s space of duty.
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