The U.S. Navy PMA 263 has selected Kraus Hamdani Aerospace to provide the K1000ULE solar-electric VTOL UAS.
The Group 2 UAS will be fielded by the United States Marine Corps Small Unit Remote Scouting System.
The Navy ultimately selected the K1000ULE through a comprehensive down selection evaluation process where key capabilities were evaluated.
Commenting on the procurement Fatema Hamdani, Kraus Hamdani Aerospace CEO said, “Today, we live with the prospect of a new era of defense technology in which autonomy and artificial intelligence will become more and more important. The Navy wants to discover what’s possible. And we’re honored to give them the solutions they need.”
Conducted at a government test facility and overseen by the University of Maryland UAS Research and Operations Center, the following K1000ULE capabilities were evaluated:
- Enhanced maneuverability, enabling operations from disadvantaged locations
- Reduced transportation and logistics enabling rapid transportation into theater
- Minimized crew requirements with a maximum of two operators (pilot and sensor operator)
- Silent operations to minimize detection
- Airborne endurance (extended flight time)
- VTOL capabilities, ensuring independence from traditional runways
- Durability, with the ability to operate in various environmental conditions
- Day and night operations and sensor capabilities
- ISTAR – Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance with Target Acquisition capabilities
- Compliance with the SOCOM Modular Payload (MOD Payload) standard
- Command and Control (C2) range between operator and aircraft
- Mission systems include simplified Command and Control of the K1000ULE, Full-Motion
- Video (FMV) interfaces, and Target Acquisition capabilities.
Once in the hands of the U.S. Marine Corps., the attributes above will enhance the Navy’s capacity to perform ISTAR operations. Additionally, the Navy will get enhanced long-range communication capabilities to be able to provide continued coverage in denied and contested environments.
The K1000ULE, while thought to provide the longest endurance in the electric Group-2 VTOL category, is enabled to share critical data between platforms within its network. This allows for the repositioning of aircraft on-demand based on sensor input while dynamically populating the Common Operating Picture.
A single operator can control a swarm of K1000ULE UAS through a simple user interface, identifying specific coverage areas and launching the correct number of aircraft to fulfill dynamic missions. The pilot has full situational awareness and can dynamically re-task aircraft in real-time as mission objectives change using gamified user interfaces.
