The US Army has selected two companies that continue to compete in its program to develop a new surveillance drone. The military wants a replacement for the RQ-7B Shadow drone.
What is known
The US Army program is called Future Tactical Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (FTUAS). Two companies have reached the Increment 2 stage: Griffon Aerospace and Textron Systems. AeroVironment, Northrop Grumman and Sierra Nevada Corporation also took part in the first phase.
The US Army has long been working on a drone that could replace the RQ-7B Shadow. Last year, the military service signed an $8 million contract with AeroVironment to supply Jump 20 systems as an interim solution for one of its brigades.
The military needs a vertical takeoff and landing unmanned aerial vehicle that does not depend on a runway or prepared infrastructure. Another requirement is a high level of maneuverability in flight. The service also wants to have a UAV with low noise levels.
Flight testing of the prototypes will take place during the third phase of the FTUAS program. At later stages, the companies will offer production versions of the drones and related equipment to the US Army, and will also conduct operational demonstrations with the participation of soldiers. Full-scale production is planned for the second quarter of fiscal year 2026.
Source: c4isrnet
2023-09-28 16:31:04
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