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By Ellie Cook
Senior Defense Reporter
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A new solar-powered high-altitude drone has successfully navigated a stratospheric test, opening the door to a new set of possibilities for unmanned vehicles, not least in modern warfare.
The PHASA-35 solar and battery-powered unmanned aerial system reached an altitude of 66,000 feet during a 24-hour test flight launched from New Mexico in June, British defense giant BAE Systems said in mid-July.
The stratospheric test, which comes after the system's maiden flight back in 2020, "marks a significant milestone" in the development program started in 2018, BAE said in a press release.
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The trial showed that this type of high altitude, long-endurance drone is possible, but it is the first step down a long road, Steve Wright, a senior research fellow in avionics and aircraft systems at the University of the West of England, U.K. told Newsweek. This type of trial highlights that the solar-fueled technology can operate continuously over long periods and top itself up, as well as survive in the temperatures and conditions of the stratosphere, he said.
Some reports have suggested the PHASA-35 would fly too high for air defenses to target it, but experts are split on just how invulnerable the drone would be. With the ability to fly at almost double the altitude compared to some commercial airliners, functioning systems such as the PHASA-35 would be very hard for air defenses to spot and detect, and difficult to shoot down, Wright said.
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The Weather Threat
But military expert David Hambling suggested to Newsweek this type of drone could be a target for surface-to-air missiles and interceptors, even at altitudes of around 70,000 feet.
Dave Corfield, the CEO of BAE Systems Prismatic, which developed the drone, said "every single test point was achieved" in the trial flight. The unmanned system was tested at White Sands, the U.S. military's testing and firing range.
The U.S. Army's Space and Missile Defense Command Technical Center sponsored the latest round of tests, BAE said.
The PHASA-35 is designed to operate higher than airplanes, above altitudes where it could be impacted by weather conditions.
But experts say the technology is fragile. The weather "is the big threat," Wright said.
While the stratosphere is a relatively predictable environment for the PHASA-35 to inhabit, adverse weather conditions on the way up to altitudes like 66,000 feet could take out the drone before it gets there.
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"The big challenge has always been fragility," according to Hambling. "While cruising at altitude they do not have problems, but the necessarily huge, lightweight designs are prone to break up when climbing through belts of strong winds," he told Newsweek.
High-altitude, long-endurance technology is also vulnerable to solar radiation as well as plunging temperatures, Wright said, meaning this type of unmanned vehicle needs hardened electronics to keep working in the stratosphere.
Designed for communications, surveillance, and monitoring, the solar-powered drone can stay airborne for "several months" at a time over an area of interest, according to BAE Systems. The successful test, although conducted over a far briefer 24-hour period, indicates this could be possible in the future.
Serious Competition
The PHASA-35, weighing in at just 120 kilograms with a 35-meter wingspan, is able to carry a 15kg payload, packed with surveillance equipment and sophisticated cameras. Labelled a "pseudo-satellite," it would not be in orbit, but would have a similar mission to far more expensive satellites, Wright argued.
Aircraft manufacturer Airbus has already tested its similar, solar-powered Zephyr high-altitude pseudo-satellite, which managed 64 days at an altitude of up to 70,000 feet before it crashed in Arizona in August 2022. Other projects include General Atomics's MQ-9 Reaper drone, which is already in use with the U.S. military, and the Global Hawk drone made by U.S. defense manufacturer, Northrop Grumman.
High-altitude, long-endurance drone designs "have been around for decades but have never proven practical," Hambling said, adding: "Now the competition is getting more serious."
Down the line, it will be available for both the defense sector and the commercial market, BAE said. Although successful tests in New Mexico showcase how the technology can work, this does not mean the PHASA-35 is ready to be used day in and day out, either on the battlefield or in everyday civilian life.
It could be a decade before high-altitude long-endurance drones are continually deployed on an operational basis by air forces across the globe, Wright said. For civilian uses, this time frame could be between three to five years longer, he added, and they are unlikely to be used for operations in Ukraine.
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