US Navy backs electric aircraft propulsion with $1.4M Skydweller deal

The U.S. Navy has awarded Skydweller a $1.4 million contract through the Office of Naval Research (ONR) to develop next-generation electric propulsion technologies for all-electric aircraft. This funding supports early-stage research focused on propulsion systems rather than delivering an operational aircraft, reflecting the Navy’s ongoing experimentation with alternative power sources for long-endurance, uncrewed aviation platforms. Skydweller’s solar-electric aircraft, designed for extended flight durations with large solar wings and electric propulsion, has been demonstrated to the Navy as part of efforts to evaluate how such technologies could enhance missions requiring persistent airborne presence, such as surveillance, communications relay, and maritime domain awareness. The Navy’s investment aligns with broader initiatives to explore electric and solar-powered flight concepts that reduce reliance on traditional fuel logistics and enable long-duration missions. These efforts include high-altitude solar-electric aircraft serving as persistent nodes for communications and sensing, potentially supplementing or replacing satellites and forward-deployed assets. The Skydweller contract