NTT says it has achieved the first successful drone-triggered lightning strike under real storm clouds
NTT said it has successfully triggered and guided lightning using a drone for the first time, marking a step toward active lightning protection for critical infrastructure and urban areas.
The test took place in a mountainous area of Hamada City in Japan's Shimane Prefecture between December 2024 and January 2025. The experiment was conducted at an altitude of about 900 meters above sea level under actual thunderclouds. Researchers monitored atmospheric electric fields from the ground using a field mill and launched a drone equipped with a conductive wire and a lightning-resistant cage when the local electric field intensified. On Dec. 13, 2024, as the thundercloud approached and electric field strength rose, the drone climbed to 300 meters and was connected to the ground through a switch installed below. NTT said a large current then flowed through the wire, the surrounding electric field changed sharply, and more than 2,000 volts developed between the wire and the ground just before the lightning was induced.
The company said the strike produced a popping sound, flashes from the winch, and partial melting of the drone's protective cage. Even so, the aircraft continued flying stably after the event. That result is central to the project. Triggering lightning with a drone requires the aircraft to survive a direct strike and remain controllable. NTT said it developed a metal lightning-resistant cage that diverts current away from the drone body and routes it radially to reduce the magnetic field effects generated by the strike. In prior artificial lightning tests, the company said the design covered more than 98% of natural lightning conditions and prevented malfunction even when exposed to a 150-kiloampere discharge, about five times the average current of a natural strike.
NTT also said it demonstrated a second key element: actively inducing a strike by manipulating the electric field around the drone. Instead of relying on chance, the system links the airborne drone to the ground with a conductive wire and uses a high-voltage switch on the ground side to alter the local field at the right moment. The sudden shift increases the likelihood of a discharge hitting the drone, allowing lightning to be drawn to a controlled path rather than striking nearby infrastructure. The approach is designed to address limits of conventional lightning rods, which protect only a fixed area and can be difficult to deploy on structures such as wind turbines or at temporary outdoor venues.
Lightning remains a costly hazard in Japan, where annual damage is estimated at 100 billion to 200 billion yen. If the technology can be paired with more accurate lightning-location forecasting and a higher strike induction success rate, drones could become a new tool for shielding communications assets, power infrastructure and exposed urban facilities. NTT said it will continue research on lightning generation mechanisms, prediction accuracy and the possibility of storing energy from induced strikes. The result points to a future in which drones do not just inspect infrastructure but actively defend it from one of nature's most destructive electrical threats.