The US Army has announced that it has selected five companies to create prototypes in the second stage (INC 2) of the Future Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System (FTUAS) competition. This was announced at the end of February 2023 by the responsible head of the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) project. The FTUAS program considers vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) vehicles and is considered the most important unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) program of the US Army.
AeroVironment's Jump 20 UAV
In the practical application of future UAS, the main focus should be on intelligence operations. In addition, drones must remain effective in areas with active GPS suppression by enemy electronic warfare systems. The five companies selected for rapid prototyping were: AeroVironment (Jump 20 UAV), Griffon Aerospace (Valiant UAV), Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation (AI V-BAT UAV), Sierra Nevada Corporation (Voly-T UAV) and Textron Systems (Aerosonde HQ 4.8). The cost of applications depends on the results of the evaluation of the work already done by the designers and ranges from 1 to 25 million US dollars.
The requirements of the second stage of the FTUAS program include the availability of VTOL functionality independent of the runway, suitability for use without lengthy training, and the ability to operate with minimal logistical effort. In addition to the advanced target control and tracking system, high maneuverability and survivability are required, as well as an extremely low noise signature. Once implemented, the new unmanned aircraft system should guarantee significant tactical advantages over existing U.S. Army UAS at the brigade level.
AI V-BAT UAV from Northrop Grumman
The second phase of the FTUAS program includes five different stages of development, including one basic and four optional. It is planned that they will be held in the period from 2023 to 2025. Currently, the program focuses on the modular approach of open systems that the customer requires. As a result, the UAVs that will be purchased in the future must fit into existing UAS families and higher-level system architectures.
Aerosonde HQ-4 UAV.8 from Textron Systems
After a series of design reviews in the baseline and stage 2, the remaining applicants in Stage 3 are expected to present their capabilities through flight demonstrations and verification activities. At the final stage 4, the remaining bidders are expected to present four drones, payload packages, ground control stations, all necessary maintenance tools, manuals, and all other ground-based equipment for the qualification test. These systems will undergo numerous evaluation activities, including environmental and flight tests, as well as electromagnetic stability checks.
The FTUAS INC 2 program is based on the findings of previous phases of the project, for example, the one-year demonstration of FTUAS. It should be emphasized that the program is not limited solely to the development of a sustainable drone. The US Army statement explicitly emphasizes that Phase 2 also focuses on generating new ideas in the areas of doctrine, organization, training, materials, and command.
According to the materials of the resource soldat-und-technik.de
