Aurora Flight Sciences, a Boeing company, successfully completed a seven-hour flight test of its fuel-cell-powered sUAS, SKIRON-XLE, marking a major advancement in flight endurance for Group 2 platforms. The test flight, conducted at a Virginia airfield, highlights an ongoing effort by Aurora to achieve longer-duration missions and increased operational efficiency for uncrewed systems.
SKIRON-XLE is part of Aurora’s SKIRON product line, which also includes the battery-powered SKIRON-X, with a 3.5-hour flight endurance. Both platforms are hybrid electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) systems, combining VTOL efficiency with fixed-wing forward flight capability.
SKIRON-XLE is designed for extended endurance and performance, compliant with U.S. FAA Part 107 regulations for sUAS operations, and ready for beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) missions.
For the seven-hour flight, SKIRON-XLE used two five-litre hydrogen tanks to power an Intelligent Energy fuel cell, paired with a Trillium HD45 EO/IR camera payload and a Lithium Polymer (LiPo) auxiliary battery. The system’s total take-off weight was 54 pounds, and it completed the seven-hour test with fully depleted hydrogen tanks and ample battery safety margin.
Aurora first announced SKIRON-XLE in June 2024, specifically targeting long-range reconnaissance missions. The platform boasts up to three payload mounting points (nose, belly and under-wing) and offers custom payload integration. Its ground control station features Kutta Technologies’ Unified Ground Control Station (UGCS) software, and its 2.4G 10W radio and tracking antenna enable a command and control link range of up to 75 km.
While the SKIRON-XLE is primarily designed for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions, its capabilities present significant challenges for counter-UAS technologies. The long endurance, BVLOS readiness and advanced payload options make it more difficult for adversaries to detect, track and counter this UAS in contested environments. As UAS platforms like SKIRON-XLE evolve, they increase the complexity of counter-UAS operations, pushing the need for more sophisticated detection and mitigation technologies.
“With this latest flight test, we’ve shown that SKIRON-XLE unlocks the longer flight times that customers are looking for while still being easy to deploy and operate,” said Jason Grzywna, Senior Director of Products at Aurora Flight Sciences. “SKIRON-XLE is a testament to Aurora’s capabilities as an innovator and integrator of advanced flight technologies. We look forward to delivering this game-changing product to customers in early 2025.”
As UAS systems continue to advance, developments like SKIRON-XLE pose growing challenges for counter-UAS systems, emphasising the need for enhanced methods to detect and defeat these long-endurance platforms.
Crédito da imagem da publicação: Aurora Flight Sciences