Autonomous emergency light unit for an aircraft, the emergency light unit comprising: a power input for receiving power from an external power supply, a rechargeable power source, at least one LED (10a, 10b, 10n) for illuminating the emergency light unit, and a light unit control logic configured to operate the emergency light unit in a plurality of operating states as a response to external control information received and processed by the light unit control logic, wherein the plurality of operating states comprises a discharge and illumination state, with the rechargeable power source being discharged over the at least one LED (10a, 10b, 10n) in the discharge and illumination state, and wherein the light unit control logic is configured to operate the emergency light unit in the discharge and illumination state as a response to no power being provided at the power input; the plurality of operating states comprises a charge and illumination state, with the rechargeable power source being charged and the at least one LED (10a, 10b, 10n) being illuminated with the power received at the power input in the charge and illumination state, and wherein the light unit control logic is configured to operate the emergency light unit in the charge and illumination state as a response to external control information comprising a charge and illumination command, characterized in that the plurality of operating states further comprises an armed and charge state, different from the discharge and illumination state and the charge and illumination state, with the rechargeable power source being charged with the power received at the power input in the armed and charge state, and wherein the light unit control logic is configured to operate the emergency light unit in the armed and charge state as a response to external control information comprising an armed and charge command, and the light unit control logic is configured to sense the power provided at the power input, with a modulation of the power provided at the power input representing the external control information and with different voltage levels of the power provided at the power input indicating operation of the emergency light unit in each of the different discharge and illumination state, the charge and illumination state and the armed and charge state, respectively. a power input for receiving power from an external power supply, a rechargeable power source, at least one LED (10a, 10b, 10n) for illuminating the emergency light unit, and a light unit control logic configured to operate the emergency light unit in a plurality of operating states as a response to external control information received and processed by the light unit control logic, wherein the plurality of operating states comprises a discharge and illumination state, with the rechargeable power source being discharged over the at least one LED (10a, 10b, 10n) in the discharge and illumination state, and wherein the light unit control logic is configured to operate the emergency light unit in the discharge and illumination state as a response to no power being provided at the power input; the plurality of operating states comprises a charge and illumination state, with the rechargeable power source being charged and the at least one LED (10a, 10b, 10n) being illuminated with the power received at the power input in the charge and illumination state, and wherein the light unit control logic is configured to operate the emergency light unit in the charge and illumination state as a response to external control information comprising a charge and illumination command, characterized in that the plurality of operating states further comprises an armed and charge state, different from the discharge and illumination state and the charge and illumination state, with the rechargeable power source being charged with the power received at the power input in the armed and charge state, and wherein the light unit control logic is configured to operate the emergency light unit in the armed and charge state as a response to external control information comprising an armed and charge command, and the light unit control logic is configured to sense the power provided at the power input, with a modulation of the power provided at the power input representing the external control information and with different voltage levels of the power provided at the power input indicating operation of the emergency light unit in each of the different discharge and illumination state, the charge and illumination state and the armed and charge state, respectively.