Reach Power (Reach), the leader in wireless power beaming technology, today announced it has won the U.S. Army’s xTechSearch 9 competition and launched a Phase I Army Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract bringing Army drones one step closer to perpetual flight.

Reach has recently achieved perpetual flight and in air charging with its power beaming system. It recently demonstrated this system at Joint Interoperability Field Experimentation (JIFX 26-2). Indefinite flight could transform how the Army deploys and sustains small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS).

Solving the Drone Battery Problem

Today’s military drones are highly limited by their batteries. A typical sUAS carries enough charge for 30 to 45 minutes of flight, which is a severe constraint for all missions, especially intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions that demand persistent overwatch.

Reach’s winning submission in the Energy Resiliency category, POWER (Persistent Overwatch Wireless Energy Recharging), aims to eliminate this constraint by transmitting targeted RF energy directly to Army drones in flight, removing the need for landings, battery swaps, or forward-deployed logistics. This work builds on prior development funded by the Department of War’s Operational Energy Capability Improvement Fund (OECIF), which has helped advance Reach’s wireless power technology toward operational readiness.

Winning xTechSearch 9

Selected from more than 800 submissions as one of only 24 winners, Reach advanced through all three phases of the xTechSearch 9 competition: white paper review, live pitch to Army and Department of War evaluators, and final down-selection, earning prize money and an invitation to join the Army’s Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR|STTR) Program.

The Phase I contract, which kicked off this month, will focus on developing a Concept of Operations (CONOP) aligned to real Army mission requirements, working directly with warfighters to ensure the system is operationally relevant and ready for field use.

“Winning xTechSearch 9 is a strong validation that persistent power is one of the most critical gaps in autonomy today,” said Chris Davlantes, Founder and CEO of Reach. “We’ve already demonstrated that wireless power can extend drone operations by an order of magnitude in real-world environments. This SBIR allows us to work directly with warfighters to gather feedback that will shape our product development and ensure the system is usable, relevant, and aligned with operational needs.”

From Innovation to Operational Capability

The xTech program connects non-traditional companies with Army stakeholders to accelerate the transition of emerging technologies into operational use. Through this Phase I effort, Reach will further mature its system in support of Army applications, building toward fieldable solutions that reduce reliance on batteries and enable persistent operations.

About Reach

Reach develops wireless power-beaming systems that deliver safe, targeted RF energy over distance to keep unattended ground sensors (UGS), sUAS, ground robots, and other electronic equipment persistent and mission-ready without cables or frequent battery swaps. The technology reduces logistics burden and dependence on foreign battery supply chains across defense, public safety, and industrial markets. It’s within Reach.

Follow Reach on LinkedIn or at www.reachpower.com