DARPA Wants To Retrofit Tankers Aircraft To Refuel Drones With Laser Energy

Kimberly Johnson

Friday, June 17, 2022 at 02:59 PM ET

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A Boeing KC-46A Pegasus takes off at Yokota Air Base, Japan. [U.S. Air Force photo by Yasuo Osakabe]

Key Takeaways:

DARPA's "Airborne Energy Well concept" seeks to develop technology for U.S. Air Force aerial tankers to wirelessly power unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) using laser beams.
The goal is to extend the range and operational capabilities of drones, comparable to the impact of air-to-air refueling for piloted aircraft, potentially allowing UAS to carry less onboard energy storage.
DARPA aims to retrofit existing refueling aircraft, such as the KC-46 and KC-135, with power beaming pods to achieve a continuous laser output for energy transfer.
This initiative supports the Air Force's broader strategy of integrating unmanned combat platforms with piloted aircraft to cost-effectively enhance fleet size and capabilities.

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The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) wants U.S. Air Force aerial tankers to take refueling to the next level by powering up unmanned aircraft systems with laser beams of energy in order to extend their range.

DARPA’s Tactical Technology Office laid out the idea for the Airborne Energy Well concept in a Request for Information (RFI) seeking to explore wireless energy transfer for drones earlier this week. The agency wants to identify technologies that could be retrofitted into existing refueling aircraft, specifically the KC-46 Pegasus and KC-135 Stratotanker.