Overview
- Company and trade reports describe it as the first operational hydrogen‑electric UAV used in an active war zone, with no independent verification presented in the cited coverage.
- Skyeton lists a 23 kg takeoff weight, 4.7 m wingspan, about 10 kg payload, 110 km/h cruise speed, roughly 12 hours endurance, and an altitude ceiling near 5,500 m.
- The aircraft is configured for surveillance rather than strike, carrying modular sensors such as radar, optical and infrared imagers, and encrypted communications relays.
- Fuel‑cell propulsion yields lower acoustic and thermal signatures with water‑vapor exhaust, while hydrogen is supplied via interchangeable cartridges or field generating units supported by leak detectors, reinforced containment, and other safety measures.
- Skyeton says engineers are targeting 20 hours endurance following two years of R&D, notes the gas‑powered Raybird has reached 28 hours in tests, and reports expanded production in western Ukraine with university partnerships and interest from NATO and European agencies.