Aurora’s Skate Deployed in Afghanistan

Photo courtesy Aurora Flight Sciences.

By Danielle Lucey



Skate, the lightweight hand-launched small UAS out of Aurora Flight Sciences, was recently deployed in Afghanistan for the first time to support Operation Enduring Freedom missions. 



The 2.2-pound aircraft’s use will be supported by the Manassas, Va.-based company for training and logistics while in theater. 



"Aurora is pleased that Skate is providing the warfighter with ISR capabilities not routinely available for small unit operations," said Mark Cherry, Aurora's president and chief operating officer, in a company press release. "Skate provides outstanding situational awareness to protect our warfighters and enhance their operational effectiveness."



The system’s deployment to Afghanistan is being sponsored by the Air Force Research Lab. 



The idea for Aurora’s Skate came out of two new hires from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who thought of the wing-body design their first week at the company. The RC project took the ruggedized foam polypropylene-based aircraft from concept to company program in a year and a half.