ULTRA

The ULTRA Air Force Program is a technology and concept development initiative focused on the procurement of the Imaging & Targeting Support (I&TS) Ultra Long-endurance Unmanned Tactical Reconnaissance Aircraft (ULTRA). Administered by the Air Force under the Aircraft Procurement appropriation, this program aims to acquire and operationally assess unmanned aerial systems (UAS) capable of sustained, multi-day flight durations. The overarching goal is to enhance tactical reconnaissance capabilities while maintaining cost-effectiveness and operational flexibility.

The ULTRA program's primary objective is to procure four UAS platforms and associated sensor packages. These systems are intended to support an operational assessment in the CENTCOM Area of Responsibility (AOR), focusing on overseas contingency operations. The assessment is designed to evaluate the aircraft's endurance, sensor performance, and suitability for extended missions in demanding environments. This contributes to future decisions on broader adoption or further development.

A key goal of the ULTRA program is to leverage commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) technologies. By minimizing the use of expensive custom or proprietary components, the program seeks to reduce both initial procurement costs and long-term maintenance and manpower requirements. This approach is intended to streamline logistics and support, making the system more sustainable and adaptable for a range of operational scenarios.

The ULTRA platform features a modular and flexible payload integration architecture. This design allows for rapid incorporation of customer-driven payload options, enabling the aircraft to be tailored for specific mission requirements. The flexibility in payload integration supports a wide variety of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) tasks and can be quickly adapted to emerging operational needs or technological advancements.

Funding for the ULTRA program is documented under Program Element (PE) 0305206F. The FY 2025 budget includes a request to support procurement activities, with no funding requested for FY 2026. The program's resource summary indicates that the requested funds will cover the acquisition of four units. Initial spares and flyaway costs are tracked separately and are not included in this line item.

The operational assessment phase, projected to last 30 weeks, will be detailed in future budget submissions. This phase is critical for validating the ULTRA system's capabilities in real-world operational settings and informing subsequent procurement or development decisions. The Air Force intends to use the results of this assessment to determine the feasibility of broader deployment and potential integration with other ISR assets.