Arotech Corporation tells us that a prototype zinc-air battery developed by its Electric Fuel subsidiary powered a Dragon Eye unmanned drone for the first time in a flight test in California. The UAV flight test was conducted as part of a demonstration program with partial funding from the US Army, the Marine Corps and NASA.

Electric Fuel's Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) batteries are high-power, lightweight versions of its most advanced zinc-air cells. The Company believes its zinc air battery has the potential to greatly extend the mission duration of this reconnaissance aircraft.

In mid July, Electric Fuel will present its zinc-air battery technology in two major military conferences -- the 2003 AUVSI's Unmanned Systems Symposium & Exhibition in Baltimore, Maryland, and the 2003 Tri-Service Power Expo in Norfolk, Virginia.

"UAV's clearly play an important role for the military" said Arotech Chairman and CEO Robert S. Ehrlich, "and our first test flight shows that with further development we can substantially improve the UAV's mission duration."

FMI: www.arotech.com