GRAND FORKS, N.D.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Skyways, a leading developer of long‑range autonomous unmanned cargo aircraft systems, today announced the successful completion of its work under Project ULTRA (UAS Logistics, Traffic, Response and Autonomy), a Department of Defense initiative designed to advance Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone logistics. As the only UAS provider at the event, Skyways completed a series of historic cargo drone flights between airports for the U.S. military, validating how unmanned aircrafts can fly safely in controlled airspace.

The flight demonstration was a milestone that will bring unmanned logistics transport closer to operational viability for the DOD. Project ULTRA leveraged the technology development efforts that occurred under the Navy’s Blue Water logistics UAS program. Led by the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, the Navy’s program aims to enable autonomous cargo transport in challenging maritime environments between ships at sea and ashore. Skyways was selected for ULTRA due to its technical maturity and success in demonstrating long-range logistics capability to U.S. Navy and Air Force customers.

“We proved what it takes to operate autonomous cargo aircraft in controlled airspace, under real FAA oversight,” said Andrew Fung, the Skyways lead Flight Test Engineer at ULTRA. “Skyways is flying at high altitudes, maintaining contact with air traffic control, and navigating in the same environment as manned aircraft. That level of integration is what will unlock true long-range drone logistics at national scale.”

Image illustration – copyrite MC1 Jesse Monford/Navy/ Skyways