Capable of months-long flights for low-cost, long-endurance maritime surveillance and border monitoring, Thales and Skydweller have teamed up to develop a solar-powered drone equipped with AI radar.
Thales, a French defence electronics company, has partnered with American aerospace startup Skydweller Aero to develop a new solar-powered unmanned aircraft for maritime patrol missions.
The announcement was made recently at the Paris Air Show, where the two companies signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU).
The aircraft, developed by Skydweller, features an ultra-wide wingspan equivalent to that of a Boeing 747 and is capable of flying for extended periods, from several weeks to potentially months, without landing.
Furthermore, Thales will equip the drone with its advanced AirMaster S radar system, an AI-driven sensor designed for persistent maritime surveillance.
Philippe Duhamel, Executive Vice President for Defence Mission Systems at Thales, highlighted that the drone will initially be offered to military customers, with integration work already underway. It will complement traditional maritime patrol planes by providing permanent, unmanned coverage.
According to Skydweller’s Sebastien Renouard, the solar-powered drone offers a cost-effective alternative to conventional systems, with operational expenses expected to be lower than those of existing platforms such as the MQ-9 Reaper.
The aircraft uses over 17,000 solar cells and can carry payloads of up to 400 kilograms. Its mission endurance, supported by AI systems for predictive maintenance, could eventually reach 12 months of uninterrupted operation. It has been designed to operate within 40 degrees of the Equator and in polar regions during summer.
The immediate milestone is a continuous flight lasting 90 days.
Beyond military use, Thales and Skydweller are also in discussions with civilian agencies for roles in border control and emergency response.
