Thales and Skydweller launch MAPS Solar Pseudo Satellite for EU Combat Monitoring

 

MAPS

In an attempt to strengthen the military potential of the European Union, Thales industrial group has signed a contract with the American aerospace startup Skydweller Aero to deploy an autonomous atmospheric satellite MAPS. This medium-altitude pseudo-satellite powered by solar panels is capable of remaining in the air for several months, transmitting observation data. The unmanned platform is equipped with modern radars and an AI system to perform combat missions.

Atmospheric or pseudo—satellites are a separate class of UAVs, they are capable of staying in the air for a long time, fueled by solar energy. The American company Skydweller Aero developed its pseudo-satellite a couple of years ago, redesigning the Swiss solar-powered electric aircraft Solar Impulse 2. The drone turned out to be large: the wingspan is larger than that of a Boeing 747, the payload is 400 kg. The device will be able to climb to an altitude of 14,000 m and accelerate to 180 km / h.

Operating at medium altitudes and carbon-free, the aircraft provides near-constant surveillance of vast maritime areas, including exclusive economic zones, shipping lanes, and disputed maritime regions.

In 2021, the Skydweller Aero pseudo-satellite caught the eye of the US Navy, and now Thales, headquartered in France, is interested in it, IE reports.

The contract with Thales allowed us to improve the capabilities of the pseudo-satellite. The AI-enabled AirMaster S radar, which was originally developed for manned maritime patrol aircraft, was integrated into its systems. It operates in the X-band and provides rapid situational awareness in the air, at sea and on land. AI-assisted data processing makes it possible to identify targets on board, which significantly reduces the amount of data transmitted and ensures efficient use of bandwidth. All this contributes to the implementation of long-term autonomous combat missions.

Most importantly, the AirMaster S radar system includes auto-tuning functions that dynamically adapt to changing tasks and environmental conditions.

According to Skydweller, the pseudo-satellite can control significant regions of the ocean, monitoring smugglers, pirates and other illegal activities from the gray zone, as well as perform military intelligence tasks. At the same time, the cost of operating the MAPS platform is only a small fraction of the cost of operating traditional aircraft.

General Atomics has integrated a 25 kW onboard laser system capable of reaching 300 kW in the future into the design of the MQ-9B SkyGuardian drone. The new directed energy system will make it possible to shoot down kamikaze drones and will become an important element of defense in distributed naval operations.