Mississippi State University’s Raspet Flight Research Laboratory is working on a groundbreaking project aimed at advancing unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for emergency response operations beyond the visual line of sight. Aurora Flight Sciences, a Boeing company, provided their Group 2 UAS, SKIRON-X, to serve as a test platform throughout the project.

Aurora Flight Sciences, a Boeing company, recently completed a successful seven-hour flight test of its fuel-cell-powered small uncrewed aircraft system (sUAS), SKIRON-XLE. The test flight, conducted at an airfield in Virginia, represents a significant advancement in flight endurance for the Group 2 platform.

The X-plane, designated X-65, aims to demonstrate the benefits of active flow control at tactically relevant scale and flight conditions.