U.S. Army Explores New Small UAS

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The U.S. Army is exploring options for procuring a family of small unmanned aerial systems (UAS) that would allow for rapid infusion of new technologies as units rotate for service abroad.

The goal is to buy more of the small UAS to outfit each platoon-sized unit with its own system, which would be between 2-15 lb., hand-held and easily operated, says Glenn Rizzi, senior adviser at the Army’s Training and Doctrine Command.

Hover, perch-and-stare capability is desirable, but ultimately the Army is looking for a “pair of flying binoculars,” says Lt. Col. James Cutting, Aviation UAS director in the Army’s operations office. He is calling upon industry to “help us out and make it cheaper so we can put more of them in the field.”

The operational concept is to have this small UAS attached to platoons so that they can have improved situational awareness at all times, not just when they engage in a firefight or after “something happens bad,” as is the case for many soldiers today, he says. To facilitate ease of maintenance and operation, Rizzi says the Army prefers battery power rather than liquid fuel and a system capable of launch without rails or bungee cords.

Also on the horizon is a somewhat larger UAS that would be attached to brigade-sized units, Rizzi says.

Tim Owings, deputy project manager for the Army’s UAS program executive office, says he is crafting a strategy to allow for phased procurement. He says the goal is not to make a single purchase for an entire fleet of UAS in one configuration. Rather, he intends to procure blocks of capability for units as they prepare to deploy.

The acquisition system is “built on rigidity … and that is something we are going to try and work through,” Owings says. The business model for industry would be to constantly upgrade the system and sell new blocks as units rotate; to do so, however, they must be highly affordable, he says.

These small UAS eventually would handle the missions now conducted by the Raven.

These comments were made at the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International’s Program Review 2011 conference in Washington Feb. 2.

Photo: USAF

One Response to “U.S. Army Explores New Small UAS”

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