Hanneke Weitering is a writer and editor with AIN covering advanced air mobility and new flight technologies. She became an aviation journalist and joined the AIN team in the summer of 2022 after reporting on spaceflight and astronomy for six years at Space.com. After earning a bachelor’s degree in physics from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, she moved to New York City to pursue a master’s degree in science, health, and environmental reporting at New York University&#039;s Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute. She is now based in Seattle near Boeing Field and spends her free time exploring nature in the Pacific Northwest.

Science & Technology Editor

Hanneke Weitering

Thales is teaming up with Skydweller to equip the latter’s medium-altitude pseudo-satellite (MAPS), a large solar-powered drone, with a radar surveillance system designed for autonomous maritime patrol operations.
The Skydweller MAPS aircraft will feature Thales’ Airmaster S “smart” radar system, which combines artificial intelligence (AI) software with an active electronically scanned array (AESA) X-band radar. According to Thales, the AI capabilities have already been successfully demonstrated on Dassault Aviation <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/video/breguet-atlantic-2-atl2-flies-paris-air-show">ATL2</a> long-range maritime patrol aircraft operated by the French Navy.
Meanwhile, Ohio-based Skydweller has spent the past year conducting autonomous flight trials with the MAPS aircraft at Stennis International Airport in southern Mississippi. For some of those flight tests, the aircraft carried operational military payloads to demonstrate its capabilities to defense customers.
With the help of AI, Thales’ smart radar “can detect points of interest among a large volume of data and reduce the amount of information that needs to be transmitted to the ground,” the company said. Airmaster S also includes auto-tuning capabilities that automatically adapt to changes in flight or mission conditions.
Capable of staying aloft for up to 90 days, the Skydweller aircraft has the wingspan of a Boeing 747 and an ultralight carbon-fiber airframe. It can carry up to 400 kilograms (880 pounds) of payload—more than any other solar-powered, long-endurance drone.&nbsp;
“The combination of Thales’ Airmaster S smart radar with the MAPS Skydweller will make it possible to change the paradigm for surveillance missions, by offering a unique solution to current sovereignty challenges,” said Sébastien Renouard, Skydweller’s chief commercial officer for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. He added that the system could provide “security to NATO, the EU, and allies of Western democracies.”

News and issues relating to civil and military unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) of all kinds and sizes, including those used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), combat (unmanned combat air vehicles, or UCAVs), law enforcement, research and other applications. Of particular focus is the FAA's planned integration of UAS into the U.S. national airspace system.

Thales, Skydweller Team on Solar-powered Surveillance Drone

Long-endurance drone adds artificial intelligence capabilities

Thales will equip Skydweller’s large solar-powered drone with an AI-enabled radar surveillance system for autonomous maritime patrol operations.

Thales, Skydweller Team on Solar-powered Surveillance UAV

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

David Donald

News and issues regarding all manner of civil and military rotorcraft and their powerplants, including helicopters, tilt rotors and unmanned air vehicles.

Essential news and analysis on the defense aerospace business. Your trusted source for new and ongoing programs and requirements in military aircraft (manned and unmanned), engines, avionics, weapons and associated systems, including ground-based air defense.

Australian company Drone Forge is purchasing six complete systems with 17 air vehicles

Flexrotor UAS Secures Largest Order to Date

Charles Alcock

A demonstrator is expected to be available for flight testing no later than the end of 2026

France Contracts Daher and Thales To Develop MALE Drone

GA-ASI has partnered with Saab to offer low-cost airborne early warning

General Atomics, Saab Propose Affordable AEW

Tests illustrate how regular helicopters can be converted for autonomous operations

Honeywell Flies Autonomous Helicopter

Anduril and General Atomics are showing their collaborative combat aircraft in full scale

Loyal Wingmen Face Off in Paris

Baykar’s proven UAVs integrated with Leonardo’s sensors and systems is the offer from LBA Systems

Leonardo Joins Forces With Baykar To Pursue UAV Opportunities

New developments and products in avionics, specifically about aircraft electronics in the cockpit.

News and issues relating to the aerospace industry that are related to the science, engineering and business of flight in space involving civil, industrial and military applications, and similar topics related to flight in the atmosphere of the Earth that are not covered more directly by other AINonline subject channels. In other words, both astronautical and aeronautical subjects, except for those aeronautical topics that are specifically covered elsewhere on this website.

In this article

More In Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Flexrotor UAS Secures Largest Order to Date

Australian company Drone Forge is purchasing six complete systems with 17 air vehicles

France Contracts Daher and Thales To Develop MALE Drone

A demonstrator is expected to be available for flight testing no later than the end of 2026

General Atomics, Saab Propose Affordable AEW

GA-ASI has partnered with Saab to offer low-cost airborne early warning

Honeywell Flies Autonomous Helicopter

Tests illustrate how regular helicopters can be converted for autonomous operations

Loyal Wingmen Face Off in Paris

Anduril and General Atomics are showing their collaborative combat aircraft in full scale

Leonardo Joins Forces With Baykar To Pursue UAV Opportunities

Baykar’s proven UAVs integrated with Leonardo’s sensors and systems is the offer from LBA Systems

Parrot Launches Flock of AI-Based Micro UAVs and an Autopilot

Anafi UKR drone can be deployed in military or public safety missions

UVision Introduces Smart Launch for Loitering Munitions

Company develops a minimum-integration launch system for its Hero-120 loitering munition

AIN Products

SUBSCRIPTIONS

RESOURCES

ABOUT AIN