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US Army’s unmanned aircraft rodeo firms up requirement for shadow substitute

Washington– recently, the U.S. Army is giving all its work into putting The finishing touches on its requirement for a replacement for its new Shadow unmanned aircraft system.  It conducted Rodeo with around four tactical USA that provides for greater capability and power as compared to the old decade, runway-dependent, noisy, and logistically troublesome system used currently. 

On 1st March 2021, FTUAS-the future tactical unmanned aircraft systems begin at Fort Benning, Georgia, and are expected to end the long-running evaluation of future capabilities on March 5. This week-long evaluation session is up for the right testing and looking into fundamental aspects before on groundwork.

The reports suggest that the US Army selected two teams in 2019. This is done with the reason of evaluating requirements and other needs for a better replacement for its Textron manufactured Shadow UAS. The army troops and soldiers offered several feedbacks on each system to help the army chart with its needs and changes but also to work on the tactics, methods, and techniques that it would need in a future system. 

Later on, in March 2019 the U.S.service selected two teams namely a Martin UAV and Northrop Grumman team, and Textron’s AAI Corporation. The Martin UAV supplied its V-Bat systems, whereas Textron provided its Aerosonde HQ. Soon after, the Army added two more aircraft for further evaluation: namely L3Harris’ FVR-90 and Arcturus-UAV Jump 20 system.

The in-charge of overseeing the Army’s Future Vertical Lift- Brig. Gen. Wally Rugen is the one who told defense news ahead of the rodeo that the department will take the information from the lengthy soldier assessments. Moreover, the rodeo to the Army Requirements Oversight Council for a decision as soon as the next quarter, which is near to the coming weeks. He also added that- “a positive and right decision would mean the U.S. Army could move freely into full-and-open competition to purchase future tactical UAS for the further fulfillment of needs”. 

Later on, Rugen said- at the moment he was hopeful the army would get revolutionary, not evolutionary, new tactical future UAS inclination that is not tied to a runway. Also, it has a lower acoustic signature with far lower equipment needed to transport the systems inevitably within the unit. 

Recently, on March 2’2021, a team of operators of the system at the rodeo told the media that compared to shadow, the new systems offer drastically refurbished inclination over the unmanned systems they have used for past years within Brigade Combat Teams. 

The system is highly feasible and easy as it only takes one-third of the time to set up and fly across the board, as compared to shadow – which requires a runway, loads of equipment, and a ground control station also to function properly. With its quick set-up ability, it gives Brigade Combat teams to quickly jump off from one location to another. 

Media reports say- Specialist Anthony Karl, 1st Airborne Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division told us that- “Every single day, we tear down everything, all of us tear down what we set up earlier to fly and then put it back in the morning again”. 

Not only soldiers are happy, but even the operators are also quite satisfied with the acoustic signature of the new systems. As before during forward flights and while the vertical-takeoff-and-landing mode tended to make a louder noise, and it is reduced now as compared to the Shadow in the air!

Lastly, Rugen said- “we saw the army troops uniformly falling in love with its capabilities and powers and wanting to keep it in because again it was such a better transformational ability”. 

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