Skate

In 2010, Aurora debuted its first sUAS, called Skate. The 1-kilogram, all-electric sUAS was designed for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions; target acquisition and detection; and search-and-rescue operations. Made of ruggedized foam, the Skate airframe could be deployed from a standard military pack in seconds. It featured an electro-optical video payload and an optional infrared camera for nighttime missions.

Twin independently articulating motor pods allowed Skate to rapidly transition between vertical and horizontal flight to achieve high maneuverability and to increase endurance to levels far beyond those of traditional eVTOL drones at the time. Skate was also highly modular and lacked traditional fasteners. Instead, components were attached with magnets for easy assembly and disassembly.

Red Team

As sUAS technology became more common, the need for counter-UAS (C-UAS) solutions grew. Aurora’s Red Team unmanned aerial targets included quadcopter and fixed-wing drones designed for testing and training C-UAS platforms. The fully autonomous Red Team platforms could mimic high-performance improvised threats. They required minimal operator training and could be launched and recovered in any terrain.

The Red Team Multi-Rotor offered VTOL capabilities and an open-architecture modular payload bay, which supported the integration of advanced capabilities such as swarming, 4G communications, and GPS-denied navigation. The Red Team Fixed-Wing had a top speed of 130mph and was Aurora’s second sUAS that used foam construction, which reduced cost and weight and made the aircraft well-suited to its role as an aerial target.

Aurora continues to use its Red Team drone fleet for testing and development of various autonomous capabilities and multi-vehicle teaming.

Modular Intercept Drone Avionics Set (MIDAS)

In 2021, Aurora’s MIDAS, an AI-enabled C-UAS platform, participated in the Pentagon’s first counter drone technology demonstration in Yuma, AZ. Outfitted with optical sensors and a customized payload, MIDAS was designed to autonomously intercept and defeat multiple adversary sUAS targets in a single flight. MIDAS fired bolo projectiles that entangled the target’s propellers and disabled the vehicle without endangering bystanders.

MIDAS demonstrated advanced autonomous capabilities including the use of perception and guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) algorithms to search for, track, and target adversary drones within range of the vehicle’s perception sensors. These algorithms provided a localized position of the target in real time and determined its autonomous intercept and firing solution. The vehicle then used the information from these algorithms to provide control commands to the autopilot system and fire the drone disablement device.

SKIRON-X and SKIRON-XLE

Aurora’s past platforms have directly influenced today’s sUAS innovations through advancements in endurance, communication reliability, autonomy, and more.

Aurora’s current Skiron Expeditionary sUAS product line includes the battery-powered SKIRON-X and the hydrogen fuel cell-powered SKIRON-XLE. Both aircraft incorporate cutting-edge technology and practical capabilities for a broad range of mission-critical applications. These platforms combine the flexibility of eVTOL with the longer endurance of a fixed-wing design and feature a modular payload system ideal for quick payload swaps or custom integrations. The integrated electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) camera, low noise signature, and military-grade radio make SKIRON-X products ideal platforms for airborne intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions.

Both platforms are designed for quick setup and deployment in a variety of environments. They can be easily operated with a two-person crew and require minimal training to use. SKIRON-X boasts a flight endurance of 3.5 hours on standard battery power alone, and SKIRON-XLE, powered by a hydrogen fuel cell, proved its 7-hour endurance during a flight test last year. Both platforms are well suited for long-range reconnaissance missions.

As these platforms and capabilities evolve with advancements in autonomy, artificial intelligence, and flight endurance, Aurora teams continue to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of sUAS. Learn more about our SKIRON Expeditionary sUAS product line here.