Forest Service Uses SOFCs to Innovate in the Face of Climate Change

A series of subsystem upgrades – known collectively as the “Havoc” configuration – has doubled the flight endurance and payload capacity of the base VXE30 Stalker system.

San Luis Obispo, CA – May 6, 2024 – Edge Autonomy, a leading provider of uncrewed autonomous systems, announced today a major performance enhancement to the field-proven VXE30 Stalker UAS. Through a series of subsystem upgrades – known collectively as the “Havoc” configuration – Edge Autonomy has doubled the flight endurance and payload capacity of the base VXE30 Stalker system, closing the gap between the capabilities of small UAS and large UAS.

“We have been evolving the Stalker series for nearly two decades, and the VXE30 is the product of intense mission-focused innovation to meet the real needs of our customers,” said Joshua Stinson, Chief Growth Officer for Edge Autonomy. “The Havoc configuration builds on years of deployed operations and direct user feedback accumulated over more than 100,000 flight hours across six continents to provide the warfighter with an unparalleled system that is ready for use on the battlefield.”

“Our goal was to provide a single, highly flexible UAS that could meet the needs of a wide range of operational units, from the company level to the brigade,” said Allen Gardner, CTO of Edge Autonomy. “By upgrading key subsystems on the VXE30, we can provide a solution that is light and mobile enough for small forward-deployed units while also able to hit the payload capacity, range, and endurance numbers of the higher echelons – all with the field-proven, silent, VTOL configuration UAS that our customers have relied on for years.”

With the flexibility and adaptability to host a wide variety of configurations – all without wasting time and budget on reconfiguring the airframe itself – the Havoc not only meets the demanding mission challenges faced by today’s uncrewed aerial systems but anticipates potential issues facing the battlefields of the future.

Current VXE30 operators require no additional training in order to operate the Havoc configuration, and all user interfaces remain unchanged between the various configurations of VXE30. The system remains payload agnostic and is prepped for third party integrations through a Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) frequently utilized by customers to integrate new payloads and subsystems without the need for Edge Autonomy support.

“Edge Autonomy is committed to meeting the changing needs of the warfighters we support, and we are excited to see what they will accomplish with the Havoc” said John Purvis, CEO of Edge Autonomy. “We built a system that would be easily reconfigurable, giving operators equipment to meet the growing mission demands they are facing now and in the future.”

About Edge Autonomy

Edge Autonomy is a leader in providing innovative autonomous systems, advanced optics, and resilient energy solutions to the U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Federal Civilian Agencies, allied governments, academic institutions, and commercial entities. We believe that innovation – in all forms, from all sources, and at all stages of development – creates solutions that enable mission success. Our uncrewed technologies are used in nearly 80 countries by government, commercial, and academic customers.

Edge Autonomy has a team of 600 employees and draws on nearly four decades of proven aerospace engineering, manufacturing expertise, and advanced technology. With headquarters in San Luis Obispo, CA and nearly 300,000 square feet of manufacturing and production capabilities across the U.S. and abroad, Edge Autonomy’s experienced team delivers mission-focused results around the world.

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The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service recently published an article highlighting the department’s use of Adaptive Energy’s solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) to innovate in the face of climate change and extreme weather.

Stacy Griffith, Alaska Region Radio Manager, shared the results of Forest Service Alaska upgrading more than half of their radio communications sites with SOFCs. Performance outcomes included:

3x increase in efficiency over internal combustion engines
Pollution-free power solution with only water and carbon dioxide waste products
Reduction in flight time and dangerous trips to mountaintops for refueling

“This ultimately saves money, time, and risk,” Griffith said.

According to the USDA:

“Before the fuel cells, the Region’s radio towers used legacy generators that ran 24/7 off natural gas costing about $90,000 a year for refueling. Another cost observation showed the SOFC needing only $30 of fuel compared to the generator that averaged more than $7,000 per season.”

Adaptive Energy’s P250i SOFC, which the USDA refers to as an “ingenious device,” was developed exactly for these use cases where quiet, clean, efficient and rugged power is necessary. Whether dealing with forest fires or freezing temperatures, it’s vital that organizations can depend on their power system.

y saves money, time, and risk,” Griffith said.

Forest Service Uses SOFCs to Innovate in the Face of Climate Change

A series of subsystem upgrades – known collectively as the “Havoc” configuration – has doubled the flight endurance and payload capacity of the base VXE30 Stalker system.

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