ORION

The Orion Medium-Altitude, Long-Endurance Unmanned Aircraft combines a highly efficient aerodynamic design with lightweight construction and efficient heavy fuel propulsion, enabling a single aircraft to perform a continuous five day mission while carrying over 1,000 lbs of mission payloads. A single Orion UAS can perform two days of persistent surveillance when operating from bases over 3,000 miles away from the target of interest.

Orion’s open architecture, large payload capacity and built-in mission flexibility bring revolutionary capability in an ultra-endurance ISR UAS platform. As an ultra-long endurance UAS platform with an 80-hour endurance capability, Orion provides versatile and cost-effective capabilities.

In December 2014, the Aurora Orion Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) set the world’s record for duration of flight for a remotely controlled Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) – 80 hours and carrying 1,000lb payload. This record-breaking flight by Orion validated that ultra-long endurance, long range, and high payload capacity can be achieved in a cost-effective and timely manner.

Orion is a key enabler in persistent surveillance ISR, stand-off monitoring, ultra-endurance loitering and Multi-INT payload deployments. From C-130J deployable solutions to long range remote operations, Orion’s flexible payload capacity and extended on-station time provide a revolutionary mission capability.

Aurora has worked jointly with the USAF to develop a Block 1 Orion specific Military Airworthiness Plan (MACP, AR15-285) and Tailored Airworthiness Certification Criteria (TACC, AR12-041C). These documents define the process and specific criteria for the Block 1 system to obtain military airworthiness.