• 08 Mar 2025 05:26 AM
• 0

Ascendance to Power French Military Drones

On Feb. 10, French aircraft developer Ascendance announced a partnership to demonstrate its Sterna hybrid-electric propulsion system on a 55-lb (25-kg) Delair fixed-wing DT46 drone (shown) for France's defense procurement agency Direction Générale de l'Armement (DGA). Ascendance stated in a LinkedIn post that a hybrid-electric observation drone could have greater stealth and flight endurance than a drone propelled by a combustion engine. The eVTOL company announced in January a partnership with French consulting company Capgemini to develop and certify the hybrid-electric powertrain for its Atea aircraft. It aims to test fly a full-scale prototype of the Atea in 2025.