US Navy awards Skydweller $1.4M to develop next-gen all-electric aircraft propulsion
The U.S. Navy has awarded Skydweller a $1.4 million contract to support the development of next-generation electric propulsion technologies for all-electric aircraft, as the service continues to explore long-endurance uncrewed aviation concepts.
The contract was awarded on Dec. 23 by the Office of Naval Research, which funds early-stage science and technology programs for the Navy.
The effort is focused on propulsion research rather than the delivery of an operational aircraft, indicating continued experimentation with alternative power systems for future platforms.
Skydweller has been demonstrating its long-duration aircraft for the Navy, giving the service an opportunity to assess how electric and solar-assisted propulsion could support extended airborne missions.
Electric focus
The Navy has been steadily investing in electric and solar-powered flight concepts, particularly for uncrewed systems designed to stay aloft for long periods.
Through ONR-funded research and demonstration programs, the service has been examining how electric propulsion can support endurance-driven missions without relying on traditional fuel logistics.
Recent Navy-backed experiments have explored the use of high-altitude, solar-electric aircraft as persistent airborne nodes for communications and sensing.
In some concepts, such platforms could remain airborne for days while supporting networking roles such as data relay or wide-area monitoring, reducing dependence on satellites or forward-deployed assets.
The Skydweller contract aligns with these efforts by targeting propulsion technology itself, rather than a specific aircraft or mission, suggesting the Navy is still evaluating how electric propulsion could be applied across multiple use cases.
Skydweller platform
Skydweller is developing a solar-electric aircraft optimized for long-duration flight, emphasizing endurance over speed or payload capacity.
The aircraft design relies on large wing surfaces to generate solar power, paired with electric propulsion systems intended to support sustained operations at altitude.
The has previously observed demonstrations of the platform as part of broader evaluations of long-endurance uncrewed aircraft.
Such systems are of interest for missions where continuous presence is more valuable than rapid response, including surveillance, communications relay, and maritime domain awareness.
While Skydweller鈥檚 has been associated with experimental communications concepts, the Navy has not disclosed whether propulsion technology developed under the new contract will be tied to a specific operational role.
Research stage
At $1.4 million, the award reflects ONR鈥檚 role in advancing early-stage technologies rather than launching acquisition programs.
The contract does not identify a program of record, deployment timeline, or follow-on testing plans.
Instead, it underscores the Navy鈥檚 incremental approach to electric , using targeted research contracts to mature technologies before deciding whether and how to integrate them into future aircraft.
As electric propulsion and energy-storage technologies continue to develop, research efforts like this one are expected to inform the Navy鈥檚 long-term planning for uncrewed and endurance-focused aviation systems.