Air Force strikes $270 million deal for lightweight drones using software with data from Ukraine-Russia war | Stars and Stripes
AI Analysis
The U.S. Air Force has secured a $270 million contract with Kraus Hamdani Aerospace for lightweight, solar-powered drones, leveraging software updated with data from the Ukraine-Russia conflict. These drones, capable of extended loitering scout missions, are designed for use in contested airspaces, particularly in the Middle East.
Key Takeaways
- The contract is valued at $270 million for solar-powered drones.
- Kraus Hamdani Aerospace's K1000ULE drones are involved.
- Software updates are informed by data from the Ukraine-Russia war.
- Drones are designed for extended loitering and scout missions.
- The drones use AI to extend flight time by mimicking bird flight patterns.
Why It Matters
This acquisition highlights the increasing reliance on unmanned systems for military operations, particularly in contested environments like the Middle East. The integration of real-world combat data from Ukraine enhances the drones' operational effectiveness, providing the U.S. Air Force with advanced capabilities to counter adversaries deploying low-cost drones at scale.
Air Force strikes $270 million deal for lightweight drones using software with data from Ukraine-Russia war | Stars and Stripes
Follow Us:
Army Pfc. Jacob Langley prepares a Kraus Hamdani Aerospace K1000ULE for flight during the Ivy Sting 4 exercise at Fort Carson, Colo., Jan. 28, 2026. (Jacob Cruz/U.S. Army)
The U.S. Air Force will purchase up to $270 million worth of lightweight, solar-powered drones that can be launched by a two-person crew and fly extended-loitering scout missions, according to the manufacturer.
The K1000ULE built by Kraus Hamdani Aerospace has already been in limited use with U.S. Army Special Forces and the 1st Multi-Domain Task Force, KHA said.
The Emeryville, Calif.-based company said the deal is with U.S. Air Forces Central, a component of U.S. Central Command, which includes the area of Operation Epic Fury, the joint U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran.
The contract has not yet been published on Department of Defense websites, KHA spokeswoman Annie Frisch said.
“Listings on sam.gov can take up to 30 days from the award date to appear,” Frisch said.
The purchase was also reported by several defense industry news sites. The Air Force did not immediately return a request for confirmation of the deal.
A Kraus Hamdani Aerospace K1000ULE unmanned aerial vehicle operates in Aqaba, Jordan, on March 9, 2023, during multinational exercises. (Aaron Troutman/U.S. Army)
The fixed-wing drone operates on software that is updated with data KHA receives from Ukrainian armed forces flying drones against Russia.
“We’re learning from Ukraine constantly, because our engineers contribute the most prolific widely used autopilot in the world, which is flying in Ukraine,” KHA co-founder and chief technology officer Stefan Kraus said in a statement.
The solar panels embedded in the 16-foot wing replenish a long-endurance battery and an AI directional program, KHA said. The K1000ULE set a record for an unrefueled drone flight of 75 hours in 2023. The drone can fly at up to 46 mph with a service ceiling of 20,000 feet. It weighs up to 40 pounds, depending on the payload.
The K1000ULE uses artificial intelligence to mimic the soaring flight paths and patterns of birds, KHA said. The AI can enable the drone to follow airflow currents, allowing it to turn off the propulsion system up to 80% of the time, extending its flight time.
“Across the Middle East, U.S. forces now operate in an environment where unmanned systems are no longer a supporting capability — they are a primary capability used at scale,” KHA said. “Adversaries are deploying large volumes of low-cost drones to overwhelm defenses, disrupt operations and compress decision timelines. At the same time, high-value remotely piloted Aircraft systems such as the MQ-9s, costing many millions of dollars, are increasingly being shot down in contested airspace.”
The drone is designed with fully modular and open architecture, so new components and capabilities can be sw