THEN & NOW
encryption, manned-unmanned teaming capabilities and the ability to operate autonomously,” according to a Program Exec- utive Office (PEO) for Aviation press release in 2020. “Designed with a Modular Open Systems Approach, FTUAS payloads will be easily interchangeable. Te FTUAS will be readily deployable using Chinook helicopters and provide commanders more flex- ibility on the battlefield.”
In 2022, the Army awarded an $8 million contract to AeroViron- ment, Inc. to provide its Jump 20 drone for the first increment of FTUAS, and, in the following year, tapped Griffon Aerospace and Textron Systems for the next phase of its rapid prototyp- ing program.
“FTUAS provides the brigade with an organic capability to conduct reconnaissance and surveillance operations that collect, develop and report actionable intelligence, allowing the warfighter to maintain dominance during multidomain operations,” the Army stated in an April 25, 2024 press release. Meaning FTUAS provides transformational capabilities including VTOL, or vertical takeoff and landing, for runway independence, on-the- move command and control, Soldier-led field level maintenance and enables rapid capability insertions, “further allowing the system to keep pace with technology.”
Te first two options included evaluations of system performance, the modular open systems approach, cost, schedule and program risk, culminating in a preliminary design review and critical design review, the press release stated.
Option 3 includes flight demonstrations from Textron’s Aero- sonde Mk 4.8 HQ, and Griffon’s Valiant, modular open systems approach third-party verification as well as Soldier touch points and testing of key systems characteristics such as vertical take- off and landing. Production representative prototypes will be delivered during Option 4 and will culminate in a production readiness review. “Exercising FTUAS Options 3 and 4 simul- taneously allows for the execution of a thorough and deliberate development test plan,” according to PEO Aviation. With “first unit issued” set for 2025.
An Abbreviated Capabilities Development Document was approved on May 17, 2024, setting up a prototyping develop- ment plan for the capability. Due to funding limitations for an accelerated fielding timetable, investments are being made in fiscal year 2025 to purchase prototypes to be flown over the next few years to evaluate their sensors and other features and deter- mine the best options.
https://asc.ar my.mil 115
CONCLUSION From hot-air balloons and early reconnaissance to lethality and MQ-9 Reaper readiness, the slow, but steady, evolution of drones through the decades highlights significant advancements in aerial technology.
Te future of drones is in autonomy, with developments focused on reducing human intervention and increasing operational effi- ciency. Autonomous drones equipped with artificial intelligence algorithms can analyze data in real-time, make decisions and adapt to highly contested environments. Tese advancements, along with continued enhancements in drone technology, will be essential for the Army of 2030 to maintain superiority in modern warfare.
For more information go to
https://www.army.mil/PEOAviation.
CHERYL MARINO provides contract support to the U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, as a writer and editor for Army AL&T magazine and TMGL, LLC. Prior to USAASC, she served as a technical report editor at the Combat Capabilities Development Command Center at Picatinny Arsenal for five years. She holds a B.A. in communications from Seton Hall University and has more than 25 years of writing and editing experience in both the government and private sectors.
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