Solar-Electric VTOL UAS Selected by The U.S. Navy

The U.S. Navy PMA 263 has selected Kraus Hamdani Aerospace to provide the K1000ULE solar-electric VTOL UAS.

Selected through a comprehensive down selection evaluation process, the K1000ULE will be fielded by the United States Marine Corps Small Unit Remote Scouting System.

Once in the hands of the U.S. Marine Corps. the K1000ULE will enhance the Navy’s capacity to perform Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance operations faster and with the ultimate objective of saving lives.

Additionally, the Navy will get enhanced long-range communication capabilities enabling continued coverage in denied and contested environments.

The electric Group-2 VTOL UAS is enabled to share critical data between platforms within its network. This allows for the repositioning of aircraft on-demand based on sensor input while dynamically populating the Common Operating Picture.

A single operator can control a swarm of K1000ULE UAS through a simple user interface, identifying specific coverage areas and launching the correct number of aircraft to fulfill dynamic missions. The pilot has full situational awareness and can dynamically re-task aircraft in real-time as mission objectives change using gamified user interfaces.

Conducted at a government test facility and overseen by the University of Maryland UAS Research and Operations Center, the following capabilities were evaluated:

• Enhanced maneuverability, enabling operations from disadvantaged locations
• Reduced transportation and logistics enabling rapid transportation into theater
• Minimized crew requirements with a maximum of two operators (pilot and sensor operator)
• Silent operations to minimize detection
• Airborne endurance (extended flight time)
• VTOL capabilities, ensuring independence from traditional runways
• Durability, with the ability to operate in various environmental conditions
• Day and night operations and sensor capabilities
• Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance with Target Acquisition capabilities
• Compliance with the SOCOM Modular Payload (MOD Payload) standard
• Command and Control (C2) range between operator and aircraft
• Mission systems include simplified Command and Control of the K1000ULE, Full-Motion Video (FMV) interfaces, and Target Acquisition capabilities

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