Media Defense One informs: the US Air Force has taken a significant step in the implementation new reconnaissance UAVs — defense forces introduced the ULTRA drone with an increased range.

The latest devices, developed by DZYNE Technologies together with the Research Laboratory of the US Air Force, are able to travel over 3 000 km and stay in the air for up to 80 hours without the need for refueling. The UAVs are intended to replace the MQ-9 Reaper, which cost approximately $30 million per unit. The US Air Force has officially begun procurement of ULTRA, the agency plans to purchase four drones worth $35 million. it ensures high aerodynamic efficiency and long flight. The devices are created by converting previously piloted commercial sport aircraft into military drones — this allowed to reduce costs and speed up development. The design uses commercially available parts, which also contributes to reducing the cost of the drone.

ULTRA UAVs can carry 181 kg of payload, including various sensors and equipment for reconnaissance and surveillance tasks. DZYNE CEO Matt McHugh noted that thanks to the long autonomy of drones, the US military can carry out missions from remote bases, such as the Sigonella base in Italy, covering large regions, including Africa and the Indo-Pacific region.