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PowerLight Technologies’ Aerial ReCharge (ARC) is a ground-based optical power-beaming system that follows an aircraft and directs non-visible laser energy to a receiver mounted on the drone. The receiver converts that energy into electricity for the aircraft or its payload, allowing the drone to recharge without landing.
At Shaw Air Force Base in April 2026, a Kraus Hamdani Aerospace K1000ULE Group 2 unmanned aircraft received nearly one kilowatt while flying as high as 5,000 feet. The aircraft continued intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) work and real-time communications during the test. That is a demonstrated in-flight power link—not proof that every drone can remain airborne forever in all weather or at any range.
How ARC recharges a drone in flight
ARC is free-space optical power beaming, not inductive charging like a phone resting on a charging pad. The aircraft remains in motion while a ground transmitter maintains a laser link to its receiver.
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- Acquire the aircraft. An autonomous mobile transmitter detects and tracks the drone.
- Steer and focus the beam. Beam-control and optical-tracking software continually adjusts pointing as the aircraft moves and maneuvers.
- Convert light to electricity. A lightweight aircraft receiver converts the non-visible laser energy into electrical power.
- Use the delivered power. Electricity can support the aircraft’s systems, recharge its batteries, or run a payload. PowerLight also says the receiver can support an optical data link.
- Apply safety controls. Layered interlocks and control functions manage the charging link and shut it down when operating conditions are not safe.
Because the transmitter follows the aircraft autonomously, the system is intended for moving aircraft rather than a stationary wireless charger. A continuous line of sight is fundamental to the link; a blocked or degraded optical path interrupts power delivery.
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What was demonstrated at Shaw Air Force Base
The aircraft and measured performance
Kraus Hamdani Aerospace reported on April 20, 2026 that its K1000ULE Group 2 UAS received wireless power during flight at Shaw Air Force Base. The reported output was nearly one kilowatt at altitudes up to 5,000 feet. National Defense reported the same headline result independently, describing nearly one kilowatt delivered to the aircraft in flight at up to 5,000 feet.
“Kilowatt-class” therefore describes the capability demonstrated in this event; it should not be read as megawatt-scale output or as a rating that automatically applies to every drone. The public reports identify the altitude and delivered-power level, but do not publish a universal maximum horizontal range or a guaranteed endurance for other aircraft.
Mission activity continued during charging
The K1000ULE maintained ISR operations and real-time communications while receiving the optical power. That matters because a useful charging system must add energy without forcing the aircraft to suspend its mission, hover in a fixed position, or return to a launch site.
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What the test proves—and what it does not
The event is evidence of a real airborne power-transfer demonstration under a defined test setup. It does not establish unlimited flight in rain, dust, fog, cloud, or every other atmospheric condition. Nor does it show that a drone can operate indefinitely when its propulsion demand, payload load, receiver mass, maneuvering, or available laser power exceed the link’s output.
Why in-flight power changes drone operations
Battery-powered aircraft normally have to land, replace or recharge batteries, and relaunch when their stored energy runs low. Each landing creates downtime and can expose the aircraft and operators in a contested area. A laser power link can move part of that energy burden to the ground transmitter, allowing the aircraft to remain on station longer and reducing battery-swap cycles.
The operational objective is summarized by OE-I Combat Power Portfolio Lead Chris DePuma: “Power beaming means more time on mission and less time on the ground.” Extra electrical power could also support sensors, communications equipment, or other payloads that would otherwise shorten flight time.
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ARC is not a replacement for every power architecture. A mission may still require batteries for periods outside the beam, during link interruptions, or when the aircraft flies behind terrain or structures. The receiver also adds mass, aerodynamic and electrical-integration requirements, and safety constraints that a conventional battery-only aircraft does not have.
Program history and current status
- December 11, 2024: PowerLight announced work with U.S. Central Command and the Department of Defense Operational Energy Innovation Directorate on PTROL-UAS, a program intended to demonstrate wireless power to a Group 2 UAS at 5,000 feet.
- December 2025: PowerLight described successful end-to-end subsystem testing involving an autonomous high-power transmitter, a lightweight receiver, precision optical tracking, and layered safety interlocks. The company said the design was engineered for kilowatt-class power over kilometers and altitudes up to 5,000 feet.
- April 2026: The Shaw Air Force Base flight test with the K1000ULE produced the reported nearly-one-kilowatt result while the aircraft performed ISR and communications tasks.
- 2026 follow-on award: The Department of War’s Operational Energy Innovation (OE-I) effort awarded work to advance a field-deployable ARC system. PowerLight said the K1000ULE would be used to mature the capability at Shaw Air Force Base.
A separate PowerLight/Airframer release associated the K1000ULE platform with an AFCENT rapid-deployment contract ceiling of up to $270 million. That figure describes the aircraft contract context; it is not identified as the value of the ARC award.
PowerLight CEO Tim Jenks said the new award reflects confidence in the state of wireless power beaming and in the operators shaping the system. The follow-on work indicates a move from a controlled demonstration toward a deployable package, but it is not the same as announcing routine field service.
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How ARC compares with other endurance approaches
The meaningful comparison is not just charger wattage. Operators must also evaluate aircraft speed and maneuvering, receiver weight, payload demand, tracking and handoff, atmospheric attenuation, eye and airspace safety, line-of-sight availability, transmitter mobility, and maturity beyond a test range.
| Factor | ARC optical power beaming | Battery swaps or other alternatives |
|---|---|---|
| Energy link | Free-space laser from a ground transmitter to an aircraft receiver | Specific values for competing systems were not stated in the cited reports |
| Aircraft movement | Designed to track an aircraft that remains in motion | Comparative speed and maneuvering limits were not stated |
| Receiver or integration | Modular receiver mounted on the aircraft; added mass and integration must be managed | Comparable receiver penalties were not stated |
| Safety | Layered interlocks and beam-control functions are part of the architecture | Head-to-head safety results were not stated |
| Weather and atmosphere | Performance outside the demonstrated conditions has not been established publicly | Comparative all-weather data were not stated |
| Deployment maturity | Flight-demonstrated, with a follow-on effort for a field-deployable system | Like-for-like maturity comparisons were not provided |
How far away can ARC charge a drone?
The 2026 flight report gives an altitude of up to 5,000 feet, not a maximum ground distance or slant range. PowerLight’s earlier technical description said the system was engineered for kilowatt-class power over kilometers and for altitudes up to 5,000 feet, but it did not establish one universal range figure for every aircraft, weather condition, or mission profile.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsAccordingly, “5,000 feet away” should be understood as the demonstrated operating altitude in this test. It should not be converted into a guaranteed radius around every transmitter.
Can a laser keep a military drone airborne indefinitely?
It can extend endurance by replacing some of the energy the aircraft consumes during flight. “Almost indefinitely” is an endurance objective, not a demonstrated universal outcome. The aircraft still depends on the beam remaining available, the transmitter maintaining track, the atmosphere permitting the optical link, and delivered power meeting propulsion and payload demand. Missions also face maintenance, airspace, safety, and battery-reserve requirements.
The strongest evidence so far is narrower and more useful: a K1000ULE received nearly one kilowatt at up to 5,000 feet while continuing mission functions. The next field-deployable phase will show whether that capability can be made reliable and practical outside the test environment.
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