---
title: "The Airbus Zephyr completed the longest recorded drone flight during an Army test"
description: "The Airbus Zephyr is a lightweight solar-powered unmanned aerial vehicle. Capable of flying at high altitude for extremely long durations, the U.S. military is considering the aircraft for its arsenal. Specifically, U.S. Army Futures Command is evaluating the Zephyr for…"
date: "2022-08-26"
modified: "2022-08-26"
authors:
  - name: "Miguel Ortiz"
    job_title: "Senior Contributor, Army Veteran"
    link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/miguelortiz/"
url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/articles/the-airbus-zephyr-completed-the-longest-recorded-drone-flight-during-an-army-test/"
categories:
  - "Aircraft"
  - "Military News"
  - "Tactical"
  - "Technology"
---

# The Airbus Zephyr completed the longest recorded drone flight during an Army test

![Airbus Zephyr](<https://www.wearethemighty.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Airbus-Zephyr-1024x762-1.jpeg>)

The Airbus Zephyr is a lightweight solar-powered unmanned aerial vehicle. Capable of flying at high altitude for extremely long durations, the U.S. military is considering the aircraft for its arsenal. Specifically, U.S. Army Futures Command is evaluating the Zephyr for the intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance role as well as beyond-line-of-sight communications. AFC completed a live-flight demonstration of the aircraft that lasted 64 days; the longest recorded drone flight and nearly the longest recorded flight ever.

![Airbus Zephyr](<https://www.wearethemighty.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Airbus-Zephyr-Yuma.jpeg>)
**The Zephyr takes flight at Yuma Proving Ground (U.S. Army)**

On June 15, 2022, the Zephyr was launched from U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona. On August 19, the demonstration aircraft was lost somewhere over Arizona. The flight was just hours shy of becoming the longest flight in history. Still, Airbus and the Army collected valuable data from the flight which will help the service as it pursues future high-altitude long-endurance flights. "Our teams are currently analyzing more than 1500 hours of stratospheric mission data," an Airbus Defense representative told *Simple Flying*. "The valuable experience from this prototype’s ultra-long endurance flight has proved to be a positive step toward the Army’s high-altitude platform goals."

![Airbus Zephyr](<https://www.wearethemighty.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Airbus-Zephyr.jpeg>)
**The Zephyr is extremely lightweight for its size (Airbus)**

During its record-setting flight, the Zephyr traversed airspace over the Southern United States, the Gulf of Mexico, and even South America. The solar panels on the top of the aircraft absorb sunlight which is stored in its 53 pounds of lithium-ion batteries and powers its propellors both night and day. While the Zephyr's wingspan is an enormous 82 feet, it weighs just 165 pounds. With a payload capacity of 11 pounds, the Zephyr could be fitted with ISR or communications equipment.

## Author
Miguel Ortiz is a Senior Contributor for We Are The Mighty covering primarily military news and history with an emphasis on weapons technology. He is a former active duty Army officer and remains a member of the Army IRR. After commissioning through San Diego State University Army ROTC, Miguel served with the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, NY. He has written for We Are The Mighty since 2020, drawing from his passion for the military community and history. Miguel’s work has also been seen on Business Insider and The Blast. He remains an avid shooter, competing in local USPSA matches. Miguel’s other hobbies are traveling and watch collecting.

### Author social links  
[LinkedIn](<https://www.linkedin.com/in/miguel-ortiz1495>)