KORTHOS / ECOSYSTEM / PRODUCT

K1000ULE

About

About K1000ULE

K1000ULE is a fully electric Group 2 aircraft designed for persistent sensing and communications. The fixed-wing configuration provides endurance up to 24 hours, while an electric VTOL configuration provides up to 12 hours and removes the need for a runway or launcher.

The aircraft can operate through line-of-sight, satellite and mesh communications and can be assembled from its transport configuration in approximately ten minutes. ATNE++ adds resilient multi-waveform communications, while MD-ACT coordinates K1000ULE aircraft with other air, land and maritime systems. The platform is Blue UAS cleared and described as production-ready.

Capabilities

Source-backed capabilities

  • Operating environments: Exercise Salaknib 25 at Fort Magsaysay, Long-duration aerial missions
  • Control modes: Operator Supervised Autonomy
  • Long-endurance flight

    Demonstrated - 2025-04-11 - Kraus Hamdani said soldiers logged more than 100 flight hours across multiple configurations, including multi-ship operations.

    Source
  • Long-endurance flight

    Claimed - Fly for up to 24 hours in fixed-wing mode or 12 hours in eVTOL mode, with in-flight solar recharge. - environment: Long-duration aerial missions

    Source
  • ISR and tactical support

    Demonstrated - 2026-04-22 - The laser-based link maintained ISR capabilities and communications in real-time.

    Source
  • Communications relay

    Demonstrated - 2025-06-03 - Provided real-time communications relay support during Exercise Salaknib 25. - environment: Exercise Salaknib 25 at Fort Magsaysay

    Source
  • Target acquisition

    Demonstrated - 2025-05-05 - Operated by the 1st Multi-Domain Effects Battalion, the system flew with high-altitude balloons and electronic warfare systems to support signal retransmission and target acquisition in Palawan and at Naval Station Leovigildo Gantioqui.

    Source
  • ISR and tactical support

    Demonstrated - 2025-05-05 - During Balikatan 25, the K1000ULE supported multi-domain reconnaissance and network extension missions alongside the Philippine Air Force.

    Source
  • Electronic-warfare sensing and response

    Demonstrated - 2025-05-05 - Operated by the 1st Multi-Domain Effects Battalion, the system flew with high-altitude balloons and electronic warfare systems to support signal retransmission and target acquisition in Palawan and at Naval Station Leovigildo Gantioqui.

    Source
  • Communications relay

    Demonstrated - 2025-05-05 - During Balikatan 25, the K1000ULE supported multi-domain reconnaissance and network extension missions alongside the Philippine Air Force.

    Source
  • ISR and tactical support

    Demonstrated - 2025-04-11 - The exercise at Yakima Training Center marked a step in the unit's ability to field ultra-long-endurance UAS for reconnaissance and deep sensing missions.

    Source

Operations

  • Order / Commitment

    $270 million AFCENT contract - 2026-04-09 - AFCENT - long-endurance UAS operations - Kraus Hamdani Aerospace was awarded a $270 million AFCENT contract to accelerate deployment of K1000ULE UAS.

    Source
  • Order / Commitment

    US$20 million - 2024-10-30 - U.S. Army - defense UAS procurement - Kraus Hamdani Aerospace secured a US$20 million APFIT contract with the U.S. Army for K1000ULE production and delivery.

    Source
  • Order / Commitment

    selected for SURSS program - 2024-04-03 - U.S. Navy / U.S. Marine Corps - defense UAS procurement - The U.S. Navy selected Kraus Hamdani Aerospace K1000ULE solar-electric VTOL UAS for the Marine Corps Small Unit Remote Scouting System program.

    Source

Supply

Supply / Components

  • K1000ULE

    Servo Actuators - Actuation - Volz Servos - Volz supplies four DA 15-N.ISS servos for the flight-control surfaces of Kraus Hamdani Aerospace's K1000ULE - source: volz-servos.com

    Source

Timeline

  • Kraus Hamdani demonstrates wireless power beaming to K1000ULE at Shaw AFB

    2026-04-22 - Demonstration - CENTCOM and the Operational Energy Innovation Directorate (OE-I) sponsored the demonstration. The laser-based link maintained ISR capabilities and communications in real-time.

    Source
  • Kraus Hamdani Aerospace awarded $270 million AFCENT contract to accelerate deployment of K1000ULE

    2026-04-09 - Contract Award - U.S. Air Forces Central awarded Kraus Hamdani Aerospace a $270 million single-source IDIQ rapid deployment contract tied to the K1000ULE unmanned aerial system. The company framed the award around faster fielding of long-endurance ISR and resilient connectivity capabilities for U.S. forces and partner nations operating in contested Middle East conditions. The post says the K1000ULE is integrated into the U.S. Army's Next Generation Command and Control environment through Anduril's Lattice platform.

    Source
  • Kraus Hamdani Aerospace's K1000ULE joins the DoD Blue UAS Cleared List and Blue UAS Select List

    2025-09-09 - Regulatory - Kraus Hamdani Aerospace said the fully electric K1000ULE was added to both the Defense Innovation Unit's Blue UAS Cleared List and Blue UAS Select List. The company said the designation validated the aircraft as secure, NDAA-compliant, and ready for immediate procurement without waiver or delay. Kraus Hamdani said the K1000ULE had been independently assessed with zero cyber vulnerabilities and carried an Authority to Operate.

    Source
  • U.S. Army expands K1000ULE use during Salaknib 25 in the Philippines

    2025-06-03 - Demonstration - Kraus Hamdani Aerospace said the U.S. Army broadened deployment of the K1000ULE across the Indo-Pacific during Exercise Salaknib 25. Operating with the 1st Multi-Domain Task Force, the aircraft provided real-time intelligence and communication relay support at Fort Magsaysay. The company framed the exercise as evidence of growing use of high-endurance UAS technology in Pacific operations.

    Source
  • K1000ULE supports multi-domain reconnaissance and network extension missions during Balikatan 25

    2025-05-05 - Demonstration - During Balikatan 25, the K1000ULE supported multi-domain reconnaissance and network extension missions alongside the Philippine Air Force. Operated by the 1st Multi-Domain Effects Battalion, the system flew with high-altitude balloons and electronic warfare systems to support signal retransmission and target acquisition in Palawan and at Naval Station Leovigildo Gantioqui. The company said the aircraft helped maintain airborne connectivity across long distances and supported reconnaissance tied to HIMARS live-fire activity.

    Source
  • U.S. Army soldiers independently operate the K1000ULE during Static Focus 3

    2025-04-11 - Demonstration - During Static Focus 3, the 1st Multi-Domain Effects Battalion independently operated the K1000ULE for the first time. The exercise at Yakima Training Center marked a step in the unit's ability to field ultra-long-endurance UAS for reconnaissance and deep sensing missions. Kraus Hamdani said soldiers logged more than 100 flight hours across multiple configurations, including multi-ship operations.

    Source
  • Kraus Hamdani Aerospace secures $20 million APFIT contract with the U.S. Army for K1000ULE production and delivery

    2024-10-30 - Contract Award - Kraus Hamdani Aerospace said it received $20 million through the Department of Defense's Accelerate the Procurement and Fielding of Innovative Technologies program. The contract supports production and delivery of K1000ULE systems to U.S. Army Pacific's 1st Multi-Domain Task Force and Joint Special Operations Command. The company said the platform was being positioned for aerial tier network extension, electronic warfare, and ISR missions with a Group 2 logistics footprint.

    Source
  • U.S. Navy selects Kraus Hamdani Aerospace's K1000ULE solar-electric VTOL UAS for the Marine Corps Small Unit Remote Scouting System

    2024-04-03 - Contract Award - U.S. Navy PMA 263 selected Kraus Hamdani Aerospace to provide the K1000ULE solar-electric VTOL unmanned aerial system. The company said the system would be fielded by the United States Marine Corps Small Unit Remote Scouting System. Kraus Hamdani said the award followed a down-selection process that evaluated maneuverability, logistics burden, crew requirements, silent operations, and ISR capability.

    Source

Context

Market context

K1000ULE is Kraus Hamdani Aerospace's ultra-long-endurance fixed-wing UAS for persistent aerial sensing and field operations.

  • Target environment: Remote field sites, border regions, maritime-adjacent surveillance areas and long-duration aerial observation missions.
  • Workflow context: Persistent ISR, environmental monitoring, surveillance, mapping and sensor carriage across long-range flight profiles.
  • Customer context: Government, defense, security, environmental and infrastructure operators needing endurance over small-drone portability.
  • Deployment model: Commercial fixed-wing UAS platform sold around endurance, range and persistent mission support.
  • Commercial maturity: Available product with public product page and mission-level positioning.
  • Adoption constraints: Adoption depends on airspace permission, launch and recovery workflow, payload fit, endurance claims, maintenance and procurement needs.
  • Market position: Ultra-endurance fixed-wing UAS lane between small tactical drones and larger crewed or MALE aircraft systems.
  • Adjacent products: AeroVironment Puma, Quantum-Systems Vector, JOUAV CW series, Event 38 E400

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