A Navy submarine has launched an unmanned aerial vehicle powered by fuel cells in the culmination of a project that took less than six years and is designed for special operations forces, the Naval Research Laboratory said Thursday.
The all-electric, fuel-powered UAV known as the XFC, or eXperimental Fuel Cell Unmanned Aerial System, took off from the Los Angeles-class USS Providence (SSN-719) while the sub was under water. The XFC fired out of a torpedo tube in a Sea Robin launch vehicle system, the same canister that is used by Tomahawk cruise missiles.
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| The XFC taking off from its launch canister. Photo by U.S. Navy. |
The NRL developed the XFC with funding from the Office of Naval Research Skunkworks and the Pentagon’s Rapid Reaction Technology Office.
“Developing disruptive technologies and quickly getting them into the hands of our sailors is what our SwampWorks program is all about,” Craig Hughes, the acting director of innovation at ONR, said. “This demonstration really underpins ONR’s dedication and ability to address emerging fleet priorities.”
The XFC is designed to provide intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities for Navy subs. After launching, the XFC flew for several hours and streamed video back to the Providence, and to other ships and locations.
Warren Schultz, a program manager at the NRL, said the successful flight represents a major change in the way UAVs can be operated.
“The creativity and resourcefulness brought to this project by a unique team of scientists and engineers represents an unprecedented paradigm shift in UAV propulsion and launch systems,” he said.
The fuel cells were developed by Protonex Technology Corp. in Southborough, Mass.
The XFC flies autonomously and has an endurance of six hours. The fuel cells power the propulsion as well as the ISR payload.