Having previously demonstrated a flight endurance of more than 75h, the uncrewed K1000ULE is meant as an airborne communications retransmission node or a platform for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.
The US Air Force’s Middle East headquarters plans to field a new solar-powered uncrewed aircraft that will offer an ultra-long endurance flight capability.
US Air Forces Central (AFCENT) awarded Kraus Hamdani Aerospace a $270 million contract on 7 April to provide an indefinite quantity of K1000ULE aircraft to support intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.
The fully electric K1000 can operate for days at a time using onboard solar panels to power continuous flight. In 2023, Kraus Hamdani logged a test flight lasting more than 75h.
In addition to providing loitering ISR support, the K1000ULE can use its marathon endurance to act as an airborne communications node, extending the range of traditional battlefield radio networks.
“When beyond-line-of-sight operations are critical, the K1000ULE’s secure SATCOM capability enables both ISR and resilient connectivity for US forces and partner nations across the Middle East,” says Stefan Kraus, co-founder and chief technology officer of Kraus Hamdani.
The US Army has already fielded the K1000ULE to support its Next Generation Command and Control environment as a communication network node. The solar-powered UAV has been paired with Anduril Industries’ Lattice software to enable autonomous flight.
The Group 2-sized UAS is available in with both vertical take-off and landing and fixed-wing options. Kraus Hamdani tells FlightGlobal the USAF will take delivery of VTOL-enabled K1000s.
Each aircraft can be disassembled for efficient transport between operational theatres.
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Ryan Finnerty is the Americas defence reporter for FlightGlobal.com and Flight International magazine, covering military aviation and the defence industry. He is a former United States Army officer and previously reported for America’s National Public Radio system in New York and Hawaii covering energy, economics and military affairs.
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