Kris Osborn
Vertical take off capability, unmanned-unmanned teaming, rapid deployment and quieting technologies are a few of the combat-paradigm-impacting attributes informing the rapid emergence of the US Army’s Future Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System effort, a critical element of the service’s fast-developing Future Vertical Lift effort.
The Army is now refining attack requirements, tactics and levels of AI-enabled autonomy with its fast-emerging Future Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System (FTUAS), a future low-to-medium altitude drone capable of supporting newer, more high-speed, AI-enabled methods of targeting, data processing, networking and attack.
The FTUAS program is a very high-priority program for the Army and considered a critical part of the Army 2030 effort, a fast-paced modernization effort intended to surge the service into future war with 35 new systems fielded by 2030.
The FTUAS pushes the envelope of possibility with this operational mandate and extends into medium altitude surveillance as well as lower-altitude surveillance, something which increases the mission scope for drones organically integrated into maneuvering Army units.
Earlier this year, the Army awarded Rapid Prototyping deals to AeroVironment, Griffon Aerospace, Northrop Grumman, Sierra Nevada and Textron to build, test and refine requirements for the FTUAS in preparation for ultimate deployment of the system.
Rapid Prototyping Other Transaction Agreements (OTA) to AeroVironment, Inc.; Griffon Aerospace, Incorporated; Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation; Sierra Nevada Corporation; and Textron Systems for the Future Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System (FTUAS) Increment 2 (INC 2) competition on February 27
An interesting write up on FTUAS INC2 explains the variant will bring vertical take-off-and-landing, which is something the RQ-7B was not able to do, so the new drone will bring previously unprecedented tactical advantages to provide medium-altitude surveillance in real-time to ground units closing with the enemy. The FTUAS requirements, as explained by the Army, also include “quieting” technology to decrease the possibility that the drone may be seen and attacked, jammed or intercepted by enemy forces.
As a vertical take-off drone, the FTUAS will not need a runway or needs the drone to be operated by another service from greater stand-off range. This enables much faster ISR and the ability to target specific areas for surveillance during war developments.
The idea, as is often the case with emerging weapons technologies, is to advance requirements, concepts of operation and maneuver formations in alignment with the advantages and attributes provided by the new technology. As part of this effort, the Army has been drafting and refining a Capabilities Development Document intended to evolve the system toward follow-on production and deployment.
Part of this requirements work is immersed in the cutting edge practice of unmanned-unmanned teaming, technologically-enabled data sharing, sensor payload management and information processing between several unmanned systems in real time, designed to inform human decision-makers regarding threats, enemy movements and decisions regarding the use of lethal force. Unmanned-Unmanned teaming, which the FTUAS will participate in, has been demonstrated and in development by the Army for several years. As far back as 2020, the Army used small mini-drones called “air-launched-effects” to find forward targets over high-threat areas and send targeting specifics to a larger drone. The larger drone then networked with helicopters, armored vehicles on the ground and AI-enabled command and control systems. This emerged at the Army’s Project Convergence several years ago, a combat experiment placing cutting edge systems “in the dirt” for combat scenarios to refine requirements, reduce sensor-to-shooter time and develop ultra-high-speed attack at the speed of relevance ahead of an enemy.
As technology progresses, unmanned-unmanned teaming will likely continue to break through with new levels of autonomy and networking such that a small or medium drone can “re-task” itself in response to a changing threat environment. Advanced algorithms enabling new levels of autonomy continue to be integrated at a rapid pace, with the tactical idea of enabling unmanned systems to survey for targets, test enemy defenses, adjust to on-the-move threats, direct fires and inform human decision-makers in position to direct the use of lethal force. Of course any use of lethal attack will be decided by human decision makers, yet the ability to find targets, analyze target detail and information, process data and quickly transmit threat specifics is massively enabled by FTUAS.
Multi-Service Drone Explosion
The US Army rapid weapons modernization effort is no exception to the US military-wide drone explosion, a rapid technological expansion of small, medium and large unmanned systems across the Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Army.
Breakthrough technological progress in the areas of networking, AI-enabled data processing and sensing have created a joint-circumstance with vastly increased levels of autonomy, secure data transmission and high-fidelity, long-range surveillance.
For years, the Army has been fast-developing groups of small, hand-held drones organically woven into operations for maneuvering ground units. The idea is to avoid having to “task” ISR to another service for medium and high-altitude surveillance but instead operate smaller, unit-launched unmanned systems capable of operating in close proximity with advancing infantry and ground units to “see over a hill,” “see over a building,” “locate approaching enemy forces” and detect incoming enemy fire from safer stand-off ranges.
Drones such as this, which include the Puma, Raven and other small systems, have been operational with the Army for many years now and are in fact having an amazing impact in Ukraine. Small drones enable a closer-in tactical ability to surveil otherwise inaccessible areas for scouting, targeting and threat assessments.
Much of the success of these efforts relies upon high-speed, AI-enabled computing wherein incoming sensor data from otherwise disparate sources of sensing can be aggregated, organized, integrated and analyzed in relation to a fast-developing combat situation. Much of this relies upon fast-evolving technical standards wherein “gateway” type systems are able to essential combine and translate incoming data from otherwise incompatible transport layer technologies. Perhaps some sensor data arrives through satellite, with yet others traveling through RF, IR or other kinds of wireless signals. Using advanced computing standards and “interfaces,” gateway enabled inner-service and multi-service drone networking to enable Army, Navy and Air Force manned and unmanned systems to operate in close coordination sharing information.
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