Hydrogen propulsion pioneer ZeroAvia announced today it has been selected by an innovation arm within the Air Force Research Laboratory for a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant for a feasibility study to integrate hydrogen propulsion in a Cessna Caravan, in combination with aircraft automation technology. Known as AFWERX, the Air Force unit’s award targets research questions specific to the “most pressing challenges in the Department of the Air Force (DAF).”
Developing an 8,000-pound autonomous aircraft with hydrogen power’s inherently low temperature signature and low noise levels (to reduce detectability) are among the areas the Air Force is particularly focused on. Another advantage of hydrogen aviation fuel is the ability to produce it at the point of refueling as long as there is a steady supply of water and electric power, a key consideration for defense applications, according to ZeroAvia.
Val Miftakhov, founder and CEO of ZeroAvia, said, “It is a hugely important signal to see the U.S. Air Force exploring the potential application of hydrogen fuel cells and electric propulsion in heavy unmanned aircraft. This feasibility study will provide greater insight into how hydrogen fuel cell propulsion can reduce detectability and costs of air operations, enhance capability of autonomous air vehicles and derisk fuel supply in forward operating environments.”
