California-based aerial technology firm Kraus Hamdani Aerospace has been awarded a contract by the United States to develop and produce ultra long endurance unmanned aerial systems (UAS) or drones for the Army.
The contract is for $20 million through the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DoD) Accelerate the Procurement and Fielding of Innovative Technologies (APFIT) program.
The contract is for the delivery of K1000ULE drones to two organizations, the first being U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC), 1st Multi-Domain Task Force (1 MDTF), and the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC).
Kraus Hamdani Aerospace says that the K1000ULE is a next-generation UAS for long missions. It will provide the U.S. Army with Aerial Tier Network Extension (ATNE), Electronic Warfare (EW), and Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities for deep sensing and communication extension over large distances.
The K1000ULE drone is positioned to provide Group 2 and Group 3 UAS capabilities with a logistics footprint of Group 2 UAS, as per the company.
K1000ULE drone – specifications
According to Kraus Hamdani Aerospace, the K1000ULE drone has persistent airborne capability of up to 24 hours. The electric drone also offers an exciting 1,000 mile (1609 kilometers) flight range.
It can cruise at speeds of 46 miles per hour (40 knots) at a ceiling height of 20,000 feet. Moreover the 9.8 feet (3 meter) lengthy drone has a wingspan of 16.4 feet (5 meters), and can fly with a maximum takeoff weight of 42.5 pounds (19.3 kilogram).
Its launch and landing is runway independent, meaning it can take off and land in contested situations with ease using its vertical take-off and landing capabilities. Moreover, it also has the ability to carry on operations beyond line of sight, alongside autonomous features, an open architecture, and the ability to be operated by just a three person team.
The drone will also give users the much-needed fly and forget mechanism at a cost-effective price.
Surveillance, electronic warfare, and more capabilities
One more benefit is that it is completely made in the US, with parts that are not locally-made, ensuring there is no reliance on other countries.
The drone can carry an impressive range of electro optical, communications, and electronic warfare equipment to meet the desired goals. It is also fit to carry any other payload which is compliant with US DOD MOD.
The U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC) had recognized the K1000ULE’s deep reconnaissance and sensing capabilities as a critical need for the U.S. Army in 2022.
This led to the K1000ULE becoming a platform that was included in various exercises and operations across various Pacific areas of operations.
“Over time, we have matured our technology in line with the requirements of the U.S. Army and continue to align the K1000ULE to meet the needs of the warfighter in a dynamically changing environment. The APFIT award validates our learning from conflict areas across the globe and our alignment to delivering mature technology that gives our warfighter an asymmetric advantage over our adversaries in modern warfare,” stated Fatema Hamdani, CEO and Co-founder of Kraus Hamdani Aerospace.
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