Solar-powered military drones: US Army orders K1000ULE for the 1st Multi-Domain Task Force

The US Army has ordered solar-powered K1000ULE military drones from Kraus Hamdani Aerospace, with a contract value of almost 20 million euros. They are to be used for tasks within the “1st Multi-Domain Task Force”. No other electric aircraft in its size and weight class stays airborne longer than this zero-emission system.

Under the US military classification, the drone belongs to “Group 2”, which covers unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) from 9.5 kilograms (21lb) to 25 kilograms (55lb). In 2023 it set a world record with an endurance flight of 75 hours and 53 minutes.

Its sensors make this possible: without any operator input, the UAV detects environmental conditions such as updrafts and uses them to gain altitude without consuming energy.

Depending on the payload – the choice is wide – the UAV performs imagery intelligence or signals intelligence. It can also serve as a relay station for mobile, voice or data radio networks. It needs no runway and can operate autonomously in anti-access/area-denial environments and with GPS jammed.

What the military drones are needed for: the Multi-Domain Task Force

As the US Army explains, the composition of a Multi-Domain Task Force (MDTF) depends on the requirements of the respective theatre. If the situation demands, it can certainly become a heavily armed unit (see graphic above).

A US Army Chief of Staff Paper defines the MDTF as “theatre-level manoeuvre elements designed to synchronise precision effects and precision fires in all domains against adversary anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) networks and to enable forces to execute their tasks set out in the operation plan (OPLAN)”.

The “1st Multi-Domain Task Force” is subordinate to US Army Pacific; its headquarters is at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington State.

According to the US Army, the “2nd Multi-Domain Task Force” is to be stationed in Germany. From 2026 it is to focus there on supporting the European theatre.