The U.S. Air Force has officially revealed its new long-endurance reconnaissance drone, known as the Unmanned Long-Endurance Tactical Reconnaissance Aircraft (ULTRA). Developed by DZYNE Technologies in conjunction with the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Center for Rapid Innovation, the ULTRA drone promises enhanced surveillance capabilities at a fraction of the cost of its predecessors.
The ULTRA drone has already been deployed in the Middle East, with photos showing its presence at Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates. Designed for long-duration missions, ULTRA can fly continuously for over 80 hours and carry payloads of up to 400 pounds. This capability allows it to provide extensive coverage with fewer drones, making it an efficient option for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) operations.
The development of ULTRA addresses the high costs and vulnerabilities associated with existing drones like the MQ-9 Reaper, which costs approximately $30 million each. Unlike the Reaper, which was initially designed as a strike aircraft, ULTRA is specifically built for reconnaissance, utilizing commercially available parts to keep costs low. This makes it an economically viable alternative for the Air Force.
ULTRA’s long-endurance capability is particularly valuable for missions in remote areas with limited basing options, such as the Indo-Pacific region. The drone can loiter over targets for extended periods and operate over distances of more than 2,000 miles.
Equipped with hardened GPS and a variety of electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) and radio frequency (RF) sensors, ULTRA offers a reconfigurable platform for diverse intelligence collection missions. Its ability to operate at lower altitudes with cost-effective sensors further enhances its practicality for sustained ISR operations.
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