Landing to recharge may soon be optional.
PowerLight Technologies has cleared a major hurdle in its push to keep military drones in the air, completing development and subsystem testing of its laser power beaming system for unmanned aircraft.
Developed under the Power TRansmitted Over Laser to UAS (PTROL-UAS) program — backed in part by US Central Command — the technology targets one of military drones’ biggest constraints: the need to land to recharge.
The system pairs a ground-based laser transmitter with an airborne receiver to form a “wireless power line,” delivering kilowatt-class energy to an unmanned aerial system (UAS).
At the heart of the architecture is PowerLight’s autonomous, high-power laser transmitter, designed to operate in mobile and forward-deployed environments.
According to PowerLight, the latest announcement marks a transition from individual component development to integrated system testing, a critical step toward operational demonstrations.
The transmitter uses optical tracking to lock onto cooperative UAS, maintaining alignment to deliver continuous power to aircraft operating at altitudes of up to 5,000 feet (1,524 meters).
A multilayer safety architecture combines autonomous safeguards with operator-in-the-loop controls to support operations in mixed-use airspace.
Integrated control software provides real-time command, monitoring, and analytics, and is designed to interface with UAS mission systems and ground power infrastructure.
On the aircraft side, there is a 6-pound (2.7-kilogram) laser power receiver that converts non-visible laser energy into electricity to recharge onboard batteries during flight.
An embedded control module manages power conversion and telemetry while supporting a bidirectional optical data link for aircraft-to-ground communications.
Strategic Impact
The PTROL-UAS program is aimed squarely at increasing drone persistence in contested or logistically constrained environments.
As part of the next phase, the laser power beaming system will be slotted into the K1000ULE UAS to demonstrate continuous in-flight charging using a ground-based laser transmitter and onboard receiver.
This fully integrated flight testing is slated for early 2026.
“The K1000ULE was engineered to deliver endurance once considered unattainable,” said Fatema Hamdani, CEO and Co-Founder of manufacturer Kraus Hamdani Aerospace.
“Integrating PowerLight’s laser power beaming adds a new level of persistence, reshaping the operational reality of theater-wide missions. A platform that doesn’t need to land to refuel or recharge is one that never blinks.”
