Soldiers from the 1st Multi-Domain Task Force (MDTF) deployed the solar-powered K1000 Ultra-Long Endurance (ULE) Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) during a battalion-level exercise earlier this month.
The training event, known as Static Focus 3, marked the U.S. Army’s first battalion-scale Home-Station Training (HST) operation focused on extended range and sensing effects.
The K1000 aircraft, developed by Kraus Hamdani Aerospace, played a key role in the March 6 exercise by supporting ISR (intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance), communications relay, and electronic warfare missions.
According to Kraus Hamdani Aerospace, the K1000ULE is the “longest-endurance, fully electric, zero-emissions autonomous aircraft in its size and weight category.” The solar-powered system can remain aloft for over 76 hours, setting a record in the class 2 UAS category — aircraft weighing between 21 and 55 pounds.
The K1000’s wings are equipped with solar panels that recharge its onboard power system in flight. Company documentation states the drone “mimics nature by utilizing onboard artificial intelligence to silently glide through the air like a bird and generate clean onboard energy.”
During Static Focus 3, soldiers assigned to the Extended Range and Sensing Effects (ERSE) Company of the 1st Multi-Effects Battalion (MDEB) trained with the aircraft’s modular design, assembling and launching it in support of simulated joint force operations. The event emphasized the role of AI-enabled aerial platforms in future conflicts, especially in regions where traditional aerial coverage may be limited or vulnerable to adversary disruption.
Military officials say systems like the K1000 will enhance battlefield flexibility by extending the network across vast operational environments, including denied or degraded communications zones.
While details on the exercise outcomes remain limited, the inclusion of the K1000 suggests the Army is accelerating efforts to field persistent ISR and electronic warfare tools capable of sustaining operations in multi-domain environments — a concept increasingly critical in regions such as the Indo-Pacific.
Kraus Hamdani Aerospace first showcased the platform’s capabilities in 2023, and its use in this Army exercise underscores its growing role in U.S. defense modernization.