FARNBOROUGH, UK - BAE has announced it plans to acquire UK-based Prismatic in an effort to further develop unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology. The pair of companies recently teamed up to build two PHASA-35 UAVs.
The PHASA has a 35m wingpsan and is a solar powered, high altitude, long endurance (HALE ) UAV. The PHASA uses long life battery technology and ultra-lightweight solar cells to maintain flight at 65,000 feet for up to a year and can be used to deliver 5G connectivity to remote areas, or areas hit by natural disasters.
In 15 months, the tandem of companies has delivered two full-scale prototype aircraft, which are now undergoing integration testing at BAE Systems’ Warton facility in Lancashire in preparation for flight trials planned for early next year.
Financial details of the BAE acquisition of Prismatic were not disclosed.
