DARPA SUPER PBD

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DARPA has selected the Silent Falcon UAV to test the feasibility of remotely charging an aircraft with a laser for its Stand-off Ubiquitous Power/Energy Replenishment - Power Beaming Demo (SUPER PBD) programme.

The Silent Falcon is scheduled to begin testing in January 2019 with the aim of charging the UAV via a laser at a distance of 10km. The UAV has solar panels on the wings and additional panels on the tail which will receive energy from a laser beam at ranges starting at 10km.

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/darpa-selects-unmanned-aerial-vehicle-to-be-powered-450884/
 
The aerospace industry has a long history of attempting development of ultra-long endurance aircraft but few - if any - that recharge using a laser.
As stated by ouroboros, LM claimed to have successfully tested such charging means on an UAV back in 2012:

ockheed Martin's recent demonstration of a Stalker drone charged by lasers likely won't change that. The company flew its 13.2-pound surveillance drone in a wind tunnel while a laser system from a company called LaserMotive wirelessly transferred power to it. After 48 hours of continuous flight, the drones' batteries were far from depletion — they actually had more electricity stored than when the tests began.

https://www.theverge.com/2012/7/12/3154543/lockheed-martin-stalker-drone-48-hour-laser-power

The end goal would be to have on-orbit satellite charger to power anywhere in the world such UAV.

https://youtu.be/-9ukRpvolYg
 

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