U.S. Air Force expands tests of glider-based spy drone

The U.S. Air Force added $46.1 million to its contract with DZYNE Technologies for operational testing of the ULTRA long-endurance surveillance drone, more than doubling the program's value. Derived from a glider-like airframe, ULTRA is designed to remain airborne for more than three days while carrying intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance payloads at lower operating cost than traditional crewed platforms. The expanded award supports additional testing and operational evaluation under operationally relevant conditions, but it does not by itself confirm a production decision or broad fielding schedule.