For over ten years, Aurora Flight Sciences, a subsidiary of Boeing, has been at the forefront of small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) development, crafting advanced platforms with industry-leading endurance, autonomy, and adaptability.
From its earliest ultra-light reconnaissance drone to today’s extended-range electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) system, Aurora’s sUAS offerings have consistently delivered critical performance in demanding operational environments.
Skate
Aurora introduced its first sUAS, Skate, in 2010. Weighing just one kilogram and powered entirely by electricity, Skate was created for missions involving intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR); target detection and acquisition; and search-and-rescue efforts. Constructed from durable foam, the Skate airframe could be deployed in seconds from a standard military backpack. It carried an electro-optical video sensor and had the option for an infrared camera to support operations at night.
Skate featured dual, independently tilting motor pods, allowing rapid transitions between vertical and horizontal flight. This configuration enhanced maneuverability and significantly extended flight time compared to conventional eVTOL drones of the period. The system’s modular design omitted traditional fasteners, instead using magnetic attachments for quick and easy assembly or disassembly.
Red Team
As small drone technology became increasingly widespread, the demand for counter-UAS (C-UAS) systems also grew. Aurora addressed this with its Red Team aerial targets, which included both quadcopters and fixed-wing drones developed for training and testing C-UAS technologies. These fully autonomous drones simulated agile, improvised threats and were designed for easy operation with minimal training. They could be launched and retrieved in various types of terrain.
The Red Team Multi-Rotor platform delivered vertical takeoff and landing functionality and featured a modular payload bay with an open architecture. This design supported advanced features such as swarm operations, 4G communications, and navigation in GPS-denied environments. The Red Team Fixed-Wing drone reached speeds up to 130 mph and became Aurora’s second foam-constructed aircraft, offering both reduced cost and weight—ideal for its role as a target drone.
Aurora continues to utilize Red Team systems for experimentation and development in autonomous technologies and coordinated multi-vehicle operations.
Modular Intercept Drone Avionics Set (MIDAS)
In 2021, Aurora’s MIDAS—an AI-powered counter-UAS platform—took part in the U.S. Department of Defense’s inaugural counter-drone demonstration at Yuma, Arizona. Equipped with optical sensors and a tailored payload, MIDAS was designed to autonomously locate and neutralize multiple hostile sUAS targets during a single mission. It used bolo projectiles to disable targets by entangling their propellers, avoiding harm to people nearby.
MIDAS showcased sophisticated autonomous functions, including perception systems and algorithms for guidance, navigation, and control (GNC). These systems enabled it to detect, track, and engage targets using real-time data to determine their location and calculate an intercept solution. The autopilot system executed commands based on this information to initiate the disabling mechanism.
SKIRON-X & SKIRON-XLE
Aurora’s earlier projects have directly shaped its latest sUAS advancements, leading to improvements in autonomy, communication stability, and endurance.
Today, Aurora’s Skiron Expeditionary sUAS family includes two variants: the battery-powered SKIRON-X and the SKIRON-XLE, which runs on hydrogen fuel cell technology. Both feature advanced engineering and practical mission capabilities suited to a wide range of critical operations.
These platforms merge the vertical lift of eVTOL with the efficiency of fixed-wing designs and include a modular payload interface for fast reconfiguration or custom integration. A built-in EO/IR camera, low acoustic profile, and military-grade communication link make the SKIRON-X line ideal for ISR missions.
Both systems are optimized for fast deployment across varied terrain and can be operated by a two-person team with limited training. SKIRON-X offers up to 3.5 hours of flight using standard battery power, while SKIRON-XLE demonstrated 7 hours of endurance during a hydrogen fuel cell test flight. Both versions are well suited for long-duration surveillance assignments.
As Aurora expands these capabilities with improved autonomy, AI integration, and extended operational range, its teams continue to influence the evolution of sUAS platforms.
