Image source: topwar.ru
The American companies Kraus Hamdani Aerospace and PowerLight Technologies have combined the K1000ULE drone with the mobile autonomous power transmission system PowerLight to power the device in the air.
Allegedly, during the flight, the laser system successfully transferred almost a kilowatt of energy to the aircraft, which was located at an altitude of 5,000 feet (1,524 m). Power was provided continuously, despite changes in the drone's position and environmental conditions during the test.
The developer noted about this:
The demonstration was organized by the combat laboratory of the Central Command of the US Air Force and was held at Shaw Air Base.
The K1000ULE is an intelligence platform that can be deployed by a team of 3 people within 10 minutes. It is powered by solar energy (the wing is covered with panels that recharge lithium-ion batteries) and is considered the unmanned system with the longest flight duration in its weight and size class. The drone mimics the behavior of birds by using AI to search for thermal updrafts, which allows it to plan with the engine off up to 80% of the time.
The UAV has a length of 3 m, a wingspan of 5 m, a maximum take-off weight of 19.3 kg, a standard flight duration of more than 24 hours, but in 2026 a record of 76 hours was set, a cruising speed of 55-75 km/ h, a maximum of 85 km/ h, a practical ceiling of up to 6.1 thousand meters, a payload of up to 2.5 kg.
The drone can function as a network node on the battlefield, providing real-time coordination.
K1000ULE – on the left photo there are views of solar panels on the wing, on the right there is a lighthouse and a photovoltaic receiver under the wing:
Image source: topwar.ru
The mechanism of operation of the K1000ULE UAV bundle and the ground-based PowerLight emitter is based on Wireless Laser Power Transfer technology. A special beacon is installed under the wing of the drone, which is fixed by the ground station using optical sensors and AI algorithms. The guidance system constantly "keeps" the drone in the crosshair, tracking its movement, vibrations and gusts of wind.
The emitter generates a narrowly focused infrared laser beam. To prevent it from scattering in the air (due to dust or humidity), the ground station uses adaptive optics, which adjusts the shape of the beam thousands of times per second. Under the wing of the drone is a specialized photoelectric receiver optimized for the laser wavelength.
Laser light is much "denser" than solar light, so even a small panel on a drone can receive impressive power, enough to quickly charge batteries. The drone and the emitter constantly "communicate" over the radio channel to correct the guidance and adjust the beam power. Since the range of the laser is limited, the UAV can fly from one emitter to another.
In April 2026, the U.S. Air Force signed a $270 million contract to supply the K1000 in a standard configuration (without a laser charging system) for operations in the Middle East.
