AeroVironment has just tested a new solar stratospheric drone, developed for the American army. This is a new version of its Sunglider drone, called Horus A. According to the manufacturer, it is capable of flying for months in the stratosphere, carrying a load of 68 kilos, with an available power of 1.5 kW.
« During this recent Horus A flight, we demonstrated our ability to carry multiple payloads for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and transmit data in real time, advancing the viability of the Haps system for applicationsapplications government “, said AeroVironment.
A surveillance drone and a relay for swarms of small drones
During this test flight, the Horus A operated a tactical-grade Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and Mesh radio. The drone also managed to maneuver in conditions weather reportweather report difficult and turbulent, before landing safely. It will be equipped with telecommunications, guaranteed positioning, navigation and timing (APNT) systems, as well as space monitoring, surveillance and reconnaissance. This will allow it in particular to guide swarms of small drones, such as AeroVironment’s Switchblade 600.
The American army is very interested in high altitude platforms (Haps), which are halfway between classic drones and satellites, and which primarily provide surveillance services and a telecommunications relay. It has already tested models from other manufacturers, such as the Zephyr from Airbus or the Phasa-35 from BAE System.
