The Griffon Aerospace Valiant (shown above) and Textron Systems’ Aerosonde are proceeding onward for the Army’s FTUAS Increment 2 competition. (US Army)
WASHINGTON — Griffon Aerospace and Textron Systems have been selected to move ahead with the second phase of the Army’s Future Tactical Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (FTUAS) Increment 2 competition, the service announced today.
After selecting five companies for the first phase of its RQ-7B Shadow replacement completion earlier this year, the Army evaluated “submissions against requirements of performance, Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA), cost, schedule, risk… and Army priorities” before conducting a preliminary design review, the Army wrote. Ultimately, it opted to cut AeroVironment, Northrop Grumman and Sierra Nevada Corporation from the next competition phase, and only award Griffon and Textron with deals for the Increment 2 of the program, which starts today.
“During this period, the Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Project Management Office will continue to evaluate project agreement holders’ weapon system designs leading to a critical design review, which will establish the final system design and initial product baseline,” the Army said.
After that critical design review, there are additional agreement options covering flight demonstrations and MOSA verification before the duo deliver production representative FTUAS for developmental testing and operational demonstrations, to include soldier touch points.
“These systems will undergo numerous evaluation activities such as environmental testing, electromagnetic environmental effects testing, transportability testing, MOSA verification, flight testing, and technical manual verification,” the Army said. The ultimate goal, it added, is to field a new unmanned aircraft fleet with increased maneuverability, enhanced command and control, a reduced logistics footprint, and is less noisy.
Textron Systems is offering its Aerosonde UAV for this phase of the FTUAS program, while Griffon is offering up its Valiant, according to previous Army pictures.
Meanwhile, the Army’s to pare down the field to these two contenders means AeroVironment’s interim solution, the Jump 20, is out. Last year the service awarded the company with a $8 million contract to buy one Jump 20 system, which includes six air vehicles, ground data terminals and ground control stations. The Pentagon also announced plans to send that unmanned system to Ukraine.
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