SBIR/STTR Award attributes
SHELLE brings a paradigm shifting level of performance to the US military for electric field deployable UAS in range, endurance and payload capability. It bridges the capability gap between existing hand launchable electric UAS and larger liquid fueled UAS. The SHELLE V1 even outperforms many liquid fuel aircraft and can match the payload of aircraft twice its weight at a fraction of the cost. Compared to current electric UAVs, SHELLE V1 can remain airborne 7.5 hours vs 3 hours with the same payload. With 3-hour endurance, SHELLE V1s payload capacity is 9lbs, nearly 5 times the payload of the current hand-launchable competition. The long endurance ISR capability equates to a combat radius of over 150 miles allowing greater standoff distances for surveillance missions into hostile regions while keeping operators safe. Additionally, SHELLE combined with the precision delivery glider enables delivery of up to 10lbs from a hand launchable platform. Commercially, SHELLE will have profound benefits for search and rescue, law enforcement ISR, border security, and aerial surveys in a variety of industries such as agriculture and oil and gas.
