UAS Completes 2.5 Day Long Flight

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The United States Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Center for Rapid Innovation (CRI) has recently successfully flown an ultra long endurance UAS for two and a half days straight. The Ultra Long Endurance Aircraft Platform (Ultra LEAP) has successfully demonstrated its incredible endurance as the zenith of a ten month long research and development project.

Utilizing its extended flight endurance, the UAS was equipped with payloads supporting extended Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions.

The Ultra LEAP has been converted from a high performance, cost effective, commercial airframe, according to Unmannedsystemstechnology.com. Utilizing a commercial airframe from the commercial aircraft market helps the United States Air Force save a considerable amount of money.

For its long endurance, ISR missions, the Ultra LEAP comes equipped with several systems and technologies in order to optimize the aircraft. The UAS is capable of autonomous takeoff and landing, with full global operational access. The system utilizes a high rate ISR data relay link and has access to secure navigation capabilities due to its unjammable GPS.

“Ultra LEAP represents an affordable approach that supports both existing and future force needs,” said AFRL commander, Major General William Cooley. “The enhanced UAS capabilities along with the cost savings offers the military a winning solution.”

The Ultra LEAP, which was developed in under 10 months, may be fielded operationally by 2020.

The integration of commercial components with military tools and systems will significantly reduce manufacturing and operating costs for the military. The Ultra LEAP will provide immediate benefits to the warfighter “while at the same time paving the path for future low cost, multi day endurance ISR missions”.