The Zephyr high-altitude pseudo-satellite (HAPS) has already flown military missions ahead of its formal entry into service, an Airbus official told Janes and other defence media on 12 December.
Speaking at the annual Airbus Trade Media Briefing (TMB) in Madrid, Samer Halawi, CEO Airbus HAPS Connectivity Solutions, said the company had begun flying contractor-supplied missions of the solar-powered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), ahead of it being formally introduced into service in 2024.
“We have already been flying missions for the military, and being paid for them,” Halawi said, without naming the military in question. “There will be continued flight trials and customer missions in 2023, and we are taking orders from potential customers for early market entry ahead of the planned entry into service (EIS) in 2024.”
Source: Janes
Janes