A new hydrogen-powered aircraft developed by the US Navy has been tested to fly almost an entire day without need for refueling. The aircraft known as the Ion Tiger, is an unmanned air vehicle managed to set an unofficial record for a fuel-cell flight. Such technology would reduce the number of launches and landings necessary.

Hydrogen fuel cells create electricity through the combination of hydrogen and oxygen, resulting only in heat and water as byproducts. The result in this aircraft is a 550-Watt (0.75 horsepower) fuel cell that is said to be as much as quadruple in its efficiency as compared to an internal combustion engine. The aircraft weighs about 37 pounds and can haul a 4- to 5-pounds.

Such small aircrafts are nearly invisible from the ground, which makes them useful for surveillance, missile launch, and communication.