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Zephyr JCTD

Zephyr is a Mediterranean term for any soft, gentle breeze. The Airbus Zephyr is a series of lightweight solar-powered UAV originally designed and built in 2003 by the British company, QinetiQ. The development of the aircraft is ongoing and currently part of the Airbus High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (HAPS) programme. The Zephyr JCTD demonstrate a solar-powered unmanned aerial vehicle capable of flying continuous operations for months at a time using solar power plus batteries for continual day/night operations. The Zephyr is a fixed- wing, unmanned aerial vehicle designed to meeturgent operational requirements for US Central Command and US European Command. This program, if successful, could provide low-cost persistent surveillance and communications relay, flying continuous operations for months at a time usingsolar power and batteries for continual flight.

The program started in 2001 as a way of filming an attempt to break the world altitude record in a balloon and since then the development of the UAV continued. In 2001 development started with Zephyr 2, a proof of concept aircraft weighing less than 7kg that flew in both free and tethered modes. In 2002 a 12m long, 15kg UAV called Zephyr 3 was created. It was supposed to fly tethered to a manned balloon attempting a world record height of 132,000ft, but unfortunately the balloon had a technical problem and thus both the balloon and the aircraft never flew. In FY2006, a new ACTD business process was initiated to update the successful Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration (ACTD) program to meet the DoD’s transformational goal of becoming capability-based, rather than threat-based, in its focus. This program, which was named the Joint Capability Technology Demonstration (JCTD) Program, includes many of the positive aspects of the ACTD program, as well as improvements to meet new and evolving defense challenges. The process will integrate the ACTD program with the new Joint Integration and Development System (JCIDS) developed by the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).

In 2007, Zephyr was selected as a JCTD candidate to address the current operation voids for persistence ISR and C3 capabilities. The schedule of the Zephyr JCTD program is planned to span over a two-year period, starting from 2008. Zephyr is a solar-powered, HALE UAV concept conceived by QinetiQ Ltd, UK. Its aim is to provide an affordable solution to a number of military gaps, particularly in the areas of deep reach, surveillance, and communication relay. Zephyr is designed to operate for an extended duration of three months during which the aircraft would not descend below 50,000 feet altitude.

In 2007, USASMDC/ARSTRAT became a partner on twoJoint Capability Technology Demonstrations: Global Observer high altitude platform and the Zephyr. In FY 2007 JCTD selection process five JCTDs were identified by the Department as potential "rolling starts." These projects were selected because they represent important warfighter concerns and capabilities. Three of the proposals, address issues with emerging technologies that could be significant "game changers". While these projects have been successfully vetted through the JCTD selection process, some additional proposal development must be addressed with the stakeholders (i.e., Services, Agencies, Coalition and Inter-agency partners), prior to project initiation. This year, five candidates emerged that were particularly compelling; however, due to technology or resource related issues, they are still in a developmental stage. The system’s long endurance will enable it to perform many tactical roles requiring long loiter time over target area, thereby making an important contribution to maintaining battle space awareness. Moreover, due to its relatively small size and the ability to sustain at a high altitude during operation, Zephyr will be ensured of its low observability and low vulnerability, which is ideal for missions that are considered high risk for other airborne platform.

In order to fly using solar power it must be lightweight to reduce power requirements needed to keep the aircraft in the sky. The structure was made of carbon fiber as this was a light and strong material.

The Airborne Global Information Grid (AGIG) is an operational wireless, high-data-rate, Internet Protocol (IP)-based network for tactical edge users. AGIG modules can be installed on multiple classes of unmanned aircraft systems (UASs) from small (e.g., Manta sized) to midsize craft (e.g., Tiger Shark class). AGIG has been transitioned to the Navy and is also a component within the ongoing Zephyr High Altitude Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Joint Capability Technology Demonstration.

In 2008 the aircraft flew for over 80 hours, nearly trebling the current record for the flight duration of an unmanned air vehicle. It had gone through several stages in development and undergone acceptance testing at appropriate stages in the system development. After each trial to monitor its performance, Zephyr was amended and developed further, and was completed by 2010.

Qinetiq's attempted record-breaking flight with the Zephyr high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned air system concluded on 23 July 2010, when the aircraft landed after spending 14 days and 21min in the air. The solar-powered UAS had been hand-launched from the US Army's Yuma test range in Arizona on 9 July 2010.

The air vehicle, which has a wing span of 22.5m (73.8ft) and a maximum take-off weight of 50kg (110lb), could be deployed for sorties lasting several months in duration and flown above 60,000ft.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) announced 17 August 2016 it had ordered a third, record-breaking, Zephyr-S Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), as part of a £13-million contract with Airbus Defence and Spa ce (ADS). Zephyr-S is the latest version of a highly sophisticated series of ultra-lightweight UAVs, capable of flying up to 70,000ft - twice the altitude of a commercial airliner - for up to 45 days at a time. Referred to as a High Altitude Pseudo Satellite (HAPS), it performs more like a satellite than a conventional UAV.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said: "Zephyr is a cutting edge, record-breaking piece of kit that will be capable of gathering constant, reliable information over vast geographical areas at a much greater level of detail than ever before."

The third Zephyr-S joined the two previously ordered by the MOD in February 2016. Built in Farnborough by ADS, all three formed part of an Operational Concept Demonstrator (OCD) to assess Zephyr’s capabilities and explore its potential for use by the UK Armed Forces and other Government Departments. The additional Zephyr-S would allow 2 airframes to be tested simultaneously and demonstrate operational handover to show that the capability could be sustained indefinitely. The OCD trials, which were held in 2017, would inform Defence’s decisions around how best to provide next-generation battlefield intelligence to the UK Armed Forces.