"Hydrogen-powered unmanned aerial vehicles are not a new concept. Drones running on hydrogen fuel have been in experimental forms for over a decade, but this is for the first time, a drone has been fully designed and deployed on full-scale combat duty in an active war zone. The drone is a hybrid version of the Raybird USA developed by Skyeton and is deployed with the Ukrainian Defense Forces."
"As a hybrid version of the Raybird, the drone is powered by an electric motor running on electricity generated by hydrogen fuel. The UAV has been reengineered to adequately distribute the space and weight of the hydrogen tank system onboard. Being hybrid, the drone is quieter in comparison to other combustion engine options, thus it makes a great surveillance aircraft."
"According to Skyeton, the hydrogen-based Raybird is not armed, it instead has radar and sensors in its payload for its identified long-range reconnaissance missions. The drone is created with a wingspan of up to 15 feet, and it has a total payload capacity of 23 kgs. Being a Raybird, the hybrid drone can cruise at over 110 km/h top speed, and the UAV can function in temperatures ranging between -35°C to +55°C."
A hybrid Raybird UAV by Skyeton, powered by an electric motor using hydrogen-generated electricity, has been deployed with Ukrainian Defense Forces in an active war zone since December 2025. The airframe was reengineered to accommodate hydrogen tanks and distribute weight. The hybrid design reduces noise relative to combustion engines and suits long-range surveillance. The unarmed UAV carries radar and sensors, features a wingspan up to 15 feet and 23 kg payload capacity, cruises over 110 km/h, operates between -35°C and +55°C, and currently achieves 12 hours endurance with engineers targeting 20 hours.
Read at Yanko Design - Modern Industrial Design News
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