Textron Systems has delivered its prototype MK 4.8 HQ Aerosonde uncrewed aerial vehicle to the US Army, as the service seeks a new reconnaissance platform for its tactical level ground combat forces.
The 20 December handover of the quad-rotor vertical take-off and landing aircraft comes as the army is preparing to launch flight testing and evaluations under the service’s Future Tactical Uncrewed Aerial System (FTUAS) competition.
That effort aims to replace the current Textron RQ-7B Shadow, which provides intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance support to commanders at the brigade and battalion level.
Unlike the RQ-7B, which is a traditional fixed-wing vehicle launched via pneumatic catapult, the new FTUAS aircraft must be VTOL-capable.
“The FTUAS system boasts transformational capabilities, including vertical take-off and landing, on-the-move command and control and soldier-led, field-level maintenance,” the army says.
With delivery of the first prototype complete, the army say it will spend one month verifying new operators for the MK 4.8, before launching a developmental testing cycle at the end of January. A contract award is expected in the fourth-quarter of 2025.
Competing against the Textron submission will be the Griffon Aerospace Valiant, which also features a quad-rotor configuration. Both companies have put forward hybrid designs capable of vertical and horizontal flight.
Textron’s Aerosonde 4.8 features four vertically oriented rotors for generating lift and a rear-mounted push propeller for horizontal flight. By contrast, Griffon’s Valiant design features four rotating nacelles that operate in a configuration similar to that of a tiltrotor.
The final FTUAS aircraft is expected to operate at low to medium altitudes and include capabilities such as modern data links, electro-optical and infrared sensors, infrared-laser target designation, laser range finding, data encryption, manned-unmanned teaming technologies and the ability to operate autonomously, the army says.
The service also notes that FTUAS designs must be able to operate in environments lacking GPS navigation capabilities.
The FTUAS programme is among several parallel efforts to test and field new uncrewed aircraft to various sized combat formations.
These include the minuscule Teledyne FLIR Black Hornet for urban reconnaissance, and a combined $14.7 million acquisition of the Anduril helicopter-style Ghost X and Performance Drone Works C-100 quadcopter.
Both of those systems are meant to provide low-cost reconnaissance and lethal strike options to junior level ground commanders.
