Dzyne ULTRA
Low-cost, long-endurance ISR drone repurposed from a commercial glider.
The ULTRA (Unmanned Long-endurance Tactical Reconnaissance Aircraft) is an experimental drone developed by the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Center for Rapid Innovation and DZYNE Technologies Incorporated. It is a low-cost, long-endurance intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance platform meant to serve as a simpler alternative to the MQ-9 Reaper.
Since 2008, the MQ-9 Reaper has been the U.S. Air Force’s primary reconnaissance aircraft, but its $30 million price tag makes it costly to lose. During the Red Sea crisis from October 2023 to May 2025, Houthi forces shot down at least 15 Reapers. Much of the Reaper’s expense comes from its strike capability, yet only a “single-digit percentage” of its surveillance missions actually required that function. The Air Force therefore sought a cheaper, simpler aircraft for pure reconnaissance.
Development began in 2019, going from concept to first flight in under ten months. DZYNE had previously worked on the Long Endurance Aircraft Program, which produced an autonomous aircraft in 2016 capable of 40-hour flights. That experience informed ULTRA. The Air Force began buying ULTRA in its 2025 budget request, procuring four drones for $35 million.
ULTRA is designed as an ISR truck, able to carry various electro-optical/infrared and radio frequency sensors, along with other low-cost intelligence payloads, on a reconfigurable platform. It achieves greater endurance and lower cost by repurposing the manned Stemme S12 commercial sport glider, converting it into a military drone using commercial off-the-shelf UAV technology, existing manufacturing and supply channels, and limited custom avionics. Lower-cost sensors are possible because the aircraft operates at lower altitudes, which do not require large optics or high-power RF systems. ULTRA can fly for over 80 hours while carrying more than 400 pounds of payload, with a wingspan exceeding 80 feet.
Its endurance allows fewer aircraft to cover large areas. It can loiter for a day over a target after traveling more than 2,000 miles. The drone uses a “Point and Click” command-and-control system, and satellite links enable global operations while providing real-time high-rate ISR data feeds to operators.
In May 2024, it was reported that ULTRA was operating from Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates.
Quick Facts
- Aircraft Type
- Surveillance unmanned aerial vehicle
- Primary User
- United States Air Force
- Number Built
- 4; another 4 ordered in 2025
- Introduction
- 2024
- Developed From
- Stemme S12
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Since 2008, the U.S. Air Force's primary reconnaissance aircraft had been the MQ-9 Reaper, but at $30 million per aircraft it proved costly when lost; during the Red Sea crisis from October 2023 to May 2025, Houthi forces shot down at least 15 Reapers. Part of the cost stemmed from its strike UAV configuration, yet only a single-digit percentage of surveillance missions required a strike capability, prompting the Air Force to pursue a simpler, cheaper alternative for pure reconnaissance.
AFRL's Center for Rapid Innovation began development of an affordable UAS capable of multi-day duration flights in 2019, going from concept to first flight in less than 10 months. DZYNE had previously worked on the Long Endurance Aircraft Program, which produced an autonomous aircraft deployed in 2016 that could fly for up to 40 hours. This experience led to ULTRA, which the Air Force officially started buying in the 2025 budget request, procuring four drones for $35 million.
ULTRA is designed as an ISR truck capable of carrying various electro-optical/infrared and radio frequency payloads and sensors, providing a reconfigurable platform. It increased endurance and lowered acquisition cost by repurposing the manned Stemme S12 commercial sport glider and converting it to a military hardened drone using commercial-off-the-shelf UAV technology, existing manufacturing and supply channels, and limited custom avionics. Lower cost sensors are possible due to lower operating altitudes that do not require large optics or high-power RF. The aircraft relies on a point-and-click command and control system, and global operations are possible through satellite-based links that also provide real-time ISR data feeds.
Reader's Guide
The ULTRA represents a shift in U.S. Air Force reconnaissance strategy toward affordable, expendable platforms. By repurposing a commercial sport glider and using commercial-off-the-shelf technology, it achieved over 80 hours of endurance and a payload capacity of over 400 lb at a fraction of the cost of the MQ-9 Reaper. Its development from concept to first flight in under 10 months, leveraging DZYNE's prior work on the Long Endurance Aircraft Program, demonstrated rapid prototyping. The Air Force's 2025 budget request for four drones at $35 million signaled official procurement. Operational deployment from Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates was reported in May 2024, and a successful three-day test flight was described in July 2024. The ULTRA's significance lies in its ability to loiter for a day over a target after traveling over 2,000 miles, covering large areas with fewer aircraft, and its point-and-click command system enabling operator-friendly global operations via satellite links.
Did You Know?
- ULTRA is based on the manned Stemme S12 commercial sport glider converted to a military drone.
- It can fly for over 80 hours while carrying over 400 lb of payload.
- The Air Force procured four ULTRA drones for $35 million in the 2025 budget request.
- During the Red Sea crisis from October 2023 to May 2025, Houthis shot down at least 15 MQ-9 Reapers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Dzyne ULTRA?
The ULTRA (Unmanned Long-endurance Tactical Reconnaissance Aircraft) is an experimental ISR drone jointly developed by the Air Force Research Laboratory's Center for Rapid Innovation and DZYNE Technologies. It was designed as a budget-friendly, long-endurance reconnaissance platform that fills a role similar to the MQ-9 Reaper at a fraction of the cost.
How does the Dzyne ULTRA compare to the MQ-9 Reaper?
While the Reaper has served as the Air Force's primary reconnaissance asset since 2008 at roughly $30 million per unit, the ULTRA was built as a far cheaper and simpler alternative. Four ULTRA drones cost about $35 million in total, making them dramatically less expensive to lose in a contested environment.
What are the Dzyne ULTRA's key specifications?
The drone boasts over 80 hours of endurance, a wingspan exceeding 80 feet, a range beyond 2,000 miles, and a payload capacity of more than 400 pounds. These figures make it a genuinely long-endurance platform despite its low acquisition cost.
Why was the Dzyne ULTRA developed?
The Red Sea crisis between October 2023 and May 2025 saw Houthi forces down at least 15 MQ-9 Reapers, exposing how painful it was to lose a $30 million aircraft in a high-threat environment. The ULTRA was conceived as a low-cost reconnaissance option that operators could afford to risk more freely.
How was the Dzyne ULTRA built so quickly and cheaply?
The platform was repurposed from a commercial glider airframe, and the team went from initial concept to first flight in under ten months. This rapid development cycle was a hallmark of the Air Force Research Laboratory's Center for Rapid Innovation approach.
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