DARPA has tapped Shearwater Aerospace to deliver AI-powered flight optimization software designed to help drones harness wind energy and significantly extend airborne endurance. The work supports DARPA’s Albatross program, which aims to enhance unmanned aircraft performance through weather-informed mission planning and real-time atmospheric sensing.
As part of the effort, Shearwater will provide its Smart Flight autonomy software, which integrates micro-weather forecasting with continuous guidance updates to adjust UAV flight paths in real time. By predicting shifts in wind conditions, the system enables drones to soar more efficiently, increasing range and mission duration without additional hardware or structural modifications.
The Albatross demonstrations will be conducted by prime contractor PhysicsAI, in collaboration with Applied Aeronautics, to assess how AI-enabled planning improves UAV persistence in operationally relevant scenarios. Program success will be measured by how effectively drones can exploit atmospheric energy to enhance endurance using software-only upgrades.
The initiative aligns with DARPA’s long-standing focus on unmanned aircraft autonomy and resilience. In recent years, the agency has advanced programs such as ANCILLARY and Rapid Experimental Missionized Autonomy, which emphasize autonomous navigation, mission continuation under degraded communications, and flexible UAV operations. Together, these efforts highlight DARPA’s push to transform drones into self-optimizing, adaptive platforms for future defense missions.
