By means of the collaborative agreement established by Leonardo, Luxembourg’s Defence Ministry, and Skydweller Aero, the initiative for the inaugural solar-powered drone will capitalize on new research and innovation prospects, especially in the realm of ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance)
Leonardo has executed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with Luxembourg’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Skydweller Aero to investigate fresh avenues for partnership on the Skydweller UAS.
This novel agreement will see Luxembourg’s Directorate of Defence coordinating the transport of the Skydweller aircraft from Albacete in Spain to the Caribbean for extensive flight testing and demonstration undertakings. This assists Skydweller Aero’s contract with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to showcase zero-emission, long-endurance flight capabilities for military purposes.
Skydweller is the globe’s premier solar-powered, fully electric UAS, capable of transporting substantial payloads over lengthy distances with ultra-persistent endurance. The aircraft is presently in development by Skydweller Aero, a US/European startup. Leonardo acts as a key investor in Skydweller and is the primary industrial collaborator. Leonardo serves as the principal contractor for Luxembourg’s Directorate of Defence on Skydweller.
The objective of this collaboration is to expedite the evolution and demonstration of the first mission-ready, solar-powered, autonomous aircraft. The agreement additionally encompasses options to discover areas for prospective partnerships in the development and demonstration of Skydweller alongside Leonardo’s ISR sensors and related capabilities aimed at ISR operations.
“Leonardo boasts a rich history of manufacturing and outfitting manned and unmanned ISR platforms and aims to introduce a new level of persistent and sustainable capabilities in such a vital sector,” remarked Laurent Sissmann, Leonardo Senior Vice President Unmanned Systems.
“As a strategic and industrial collaborator of Skydweller, we are thrilled to have the backing of the Luxembourg Directorate of Defence and its expertise in the ISR domain for the research, development, and flight-testing of an innovative project such as Skydweller. We can genuinely assert that the Luxembourg MOD and Leonardo share the vision of Skydweller as a unique initiative that unites and enhances both sustainability and ISR capabilities.”
“This collaboration underscores the shared vision between Skydweller and Luxembourg’s Directorate of Defence to evolve the Skydweller platform in delivering this mission-capable, sustainable ISR asset to the US DoD and its allies,” stated Skydweller CEO Dr. Robert Miller. “We express our sincere gratitude to Luxembourg’s Directorate of Defence for their significant role in this endeavor.”
“The Skydweller platform represents an innovative venture within the ISR arena, where the Luxembourg Directorate of Defence has been actively engaged for decades across the Land, Air, and Space domains. This initiative aligns seamlessly with our objectives to decarbonize military operations, diminish emissions and the dependency on fossil fuels, thereby reducing the sector’s environmental footprint,” declared Luxembourg Defence Minister François Bausch. “Moreover, encouraging the advancement of green dual-use projects like Skydweller will yield long-term advantages for civil aviation as well, which is another of my responsibilities and political priorities.”
