AeroVironment takes on FTUAS Increment 1
JUMP 20 is the first fixed-wing UAS with VTOL capability to be deployed by the US military. (Photo: AeroVironment)
Increment 1 of the US Army’s Future Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System includes the testing and fielding of the Jump 20 MUAS on an accelerated schedule.
Multi-domain robotic system manufacturer AeroVironment has received a transaction agreement from the US Army, the company announced on 18 August.
The contract is for Increment 1 of the army’s Future Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System (FTUAS) programme and covers the purchase, testing and delivery of an AeroVironment Jump 20 medium UAS (MUAS) to a selected brigade combat team. The agreement also covers associated services, training and support.
‘With Increment 1 of the FTUAS program, the army will be testing and fielding the Jump 20 on an accelerated schedule as they seek a replacement for the RQ-7B Shadow UAS currently fielded in brigade combat teams,’ Gorik Hossepian, the company’s VP and product line manager, said in a statement.
Jump 20 is the first fixed-wing UAS with VTOL capability to be deployed by the US military. The aircraft can provide ISR services with increased manoeuvrability and improved C2, AeroVironment said.
In May, the president and CEO of the company said it was confident whoever wins Increment 1 ‘will be in a really strong position for the remainder of the [FTUAS] competition’.
Designed to source a replacement for the RQ-7 Shadow, the FTUAS effort wrapped up an extensive test and demonstration phase in Q4 2021, involving AeroVironment’s Jump 20, Textron’s Aerosonde HQ, L3Harris Technologies’ FVR-90 and Martin UAV’s V-Bat.
Related Programmes in Defence Insight
Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) (Increment 2) [US Army]
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Air Warfare
-
![US Air Force lays the groundwork to move the F-15EX acquisition to lots 7 and 8]()
US Air Force lays the groundwork to move the F-15EX acquisition to lots 7 and 8
Procurement of the Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System for future production lots signals the air force's commitment to an expanded 267-aircraft Eagle II fleet while sustaining full electronic warfare capability on every fighter.
-
![US Air Force unveils new details of Next Generation Airlift aircraft to replace C-17 and C-5]()
US Air Force unveils new details of Next Generation Airlift aircraft to replace C-17 and C-5
New planning documents reveal how the service is defining the aircraft expected to succeed the C-17 and C-5, including its initial requirements and procurement roadmap.
-
![Could CUAS demand open a new market for armed trainer aircraft?]()
Could CUAS demand open a new market for armed trainer aircraft?
As affordable counter-drone solutions become a military priority, repurposing training aircraft could emerge as a credible option to prepare for emergency scenarios.
-
![A new shape in the sky? Mapping out the F-47’s configuration]()
A new shape in the sky? Mapping out the F-47’s configuration
As images of what might be an F-47 prototype or proof-of-concept vehicle emerge from the Nevada desert, what do they tell us about the aircraft’s capabilities and enabling technologies?
