The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has acquired two solar powered unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that are capable of flying to an altitude of 65,000-70,000 feet.
The Zephyr 8 machines are built by Airbus Defence and Space are expected to be used for operational concept demonstrations, although the exact purpose for the machines has not been confirmed.
The solar powered Zephyr 8 represents an update from the previous Zephyr 7, which holds the world record for 14 days continuous flight set in 2010. Updated features include a 30 per cent reduction weight and the capacity to carry 50 per cent more batteries than its predecessor.
The procurement of the Zephyr 8 UAVs comes as part of £10.6 million package for operational concept demonstration, with Defence Procurement Minister Philip Dunne saying the contract will allow the MoD to understand whether the UAVs can fulfil the requirement for a high-altitude persistent surveillance capability.
