Aurora Flight Sciences Unveils Hydrogen Fuel Cell-Powered UAS for Long-Range Reconnaissance

Aurora Flight Sciences, a Boeing Company, has introduced the hydrogen fuel cell-powered SKIRON-XLE, a long-endurance variant of its SKIRON Expeditionary small UAS designed for extended long-range reconnaissance missions.

Current flight tests suggest that the SKIRON-XLE will be able to sustain flight times exceeding five hours.

The SKIRON product line is notable for its combination of vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capabilities with the extended endurance typical of fixed-wing aircraft. The SKIRON-XLE carries high-resolution electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) payloads from Trillium Engineering. Custom payload integrations are available, with optional belly-mount payload space and under-wing mounts. Equipped with Trillium’s HD55 gimbal, the battery-powered SKIRON-X weighs 49 pounds, while the fuel cell SKIRON-XLE weighs 54 pounds. Both variants can be easily transported in a standard truck or SUV and deployed by a two-person crew.

The SKIRON-XLE system features a ruggedized ground control station equipped with Kutta Technologies’ Unified Ground Control Station (UGCS) software. Aurora employs a customized version of UGCS-Defense, compliant with international STANAG 4586 standards and U.S. Army Interoperability standards. This Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) ensures software and hardware interoperability.

The SKIRON-XLE's long-range capabilities include a 2.4G 10W radio and tracking antenna, providing up to a 75 km command and control (C2) link range, with multiple frequency and output power options available.

Manufactured at Aurora’s facility in Manassas, Virginia, both the SKIRON-X and SKIRON-XLE are designed for quick and easy setup and offer autonomous launch, flight, and landing capabilities.