US Army selects Northrop Grumman with Shield AI for Future Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System Prototype

US Army selects Northrop Grumman with Shield AI for Future Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System Prototype

 

Securing borders, hunting drugs, finding threats. Shield AI’s V-BAT is the future of next-generation UAS. The most tactical, most logistically simple UAS in the world. There’s nothing else like it.
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In head-to-head customer fly-offs, V-BAT won. The U.S. and allied militaries are chose V-BAT because it delivers, period. Ducted-fan technology enables industry leading max-takeoff weight to payload weight ratio. We didn’t just break the record, we redefined what’s possible.

 

The V-BAT 128 unmanned aircraft system (UAS) is an upgraded version of V-BAT vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) UAS manufactured by Martin UAV. The new aircraft offers increased payload capacity and endurance compared to its predecessor.

In February 2021, the unmanned aircraft was demonstrated to the Army Expeditionary Warrior Experiment (AEWE) at Fort Benning in Georgia, US. AEWE assesses a range of new technologies for the US Army modernisation efforts, including the Army’s six modernisation priorities.

 Northrop Grumman, teamed with Shield AI, has been chosen by the U.S. Army to participate in the Future Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System (FTUAS) competition, Increment 2, to replace the long-serving RQ-7B Shadow tactical unmanned aerial system (UAS).

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Northrop Grumman has been chosen by the U.S. Army to participate in Increment 2 of the Future Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System (FTUAS) program. With teammate Shield AI, Northrop Grumman is developing an enhanced-capability version of the innovative V-BAT aircraft, shown in this rendering, to replace the Army’s long-serving RQ-7B Shadow tactical UAS (Picture source: Northrop Grumman and Shield AI)

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Under a seven-week base period contract, the Northrop Grumman-led team will define the modular open-system architecture of an enhanced V-BAT aircraft, including the integration of advanced surveillance and electronic warfare (EW) payloads. The V-BAT UAS is an innovative, agile, compact and lightweight platform that a combat team of two soldiers can rapidly launch and recover in challenging and on-the-move environments.

“Our team’s enhanced V-BAT embodies more than 30 years of experience designing, delivering and sustaining advanced unmanned aircraft systems, combined with a field-proven platform and production facilities,” said Angela Johns, vice president, autonomous and tactical air systems, Northrop Grumman. “We bring a unique perspective and capabilities to this critical Army mission.”

Northrop Grumman is teamed with Shield AI, designer and manufacturer of the V-BAT platform, to provide best-in-class solutions for an expeditionary vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) UAS, capable of persistent aerial reconnaissance for U.S. Army Brigade Combat Teams, Special Forces and Ranger battalions. As a Future Vertical Lift program, the FTUAS is the Army’s premier VTOL unmanned aircraft modernization effort.

Earlier versions of the V-BAT have supported operations for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps since 2016. The new enhanced V-BAT is simple to operate, has increased power, a reduced logistics tail and capacity to carry a range of interchangeable payloads, including electro-optical/infra-red, synthetic aperture radar and EW systems, offering long-term adaptability and life cycle management.

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