Solar spy drone can fly for a year without maintenance or fuel

A solar-powered spy drone that can fly for a year without maintenance or fuel could one day carry out missions for the British military. The Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) uses the sun to power its engines during the day as well as recharge its batteries for overnight operation. Known as Phasa-35, the aircraft could one day be used for surveillance and provide vital communications to remote areas at altitudes of up to 70,000ft (21,000m). Work is already underway to prepare the first drone for flight tests in 2019, according to British defence giant BAE Systems, which is developing the aircraft. A solar-powered spy drone (artist's impression) that can fly for a year without maintenance or fuel could one day carry out missions for the British military Engineers from BAE and Farnborough-based firm Prismatic announced Thursday they would collaborate on the development of the UAV.