REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. – The U.S. Army recently achieved two major milestones in the development of the Future Tactical Uncrewed Aircraft System Program, when the two competitors completed Modular Open System Approach (MOSA) conformance evaluations and flight demonstrations of their prototype aircraft.
The MOSA conformance evaluations were conducted in May, with Griffon Aerospace in Madison, Ala. and Textron Systems in Huntsville, Ala. Conducted collaboratively, the evaluation consisted of replacing the vendor prototype mission computers with a third-party surrogate mission computer and a mix of third-party and vendor software. Swapping the hardware and software allowed an independent assessor to measure the openness and modularity of the prototype systems to determine the extent to which MOSA objectives were satisfied. This MOSA conformance verification demonstrated early implementation of and alignment with required MOSA functional boundaries and will serve as a model for follow-on MOSA evaluations.
Following MOSA verifications, the FTUAS team executed flight demonstrations with both vendor prototypes at the U.S. Army Redstone Test Center (RTC), a subordinate command of the U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command. Griffon Aerospace and Textron Systems conducted multiple flights at RTC demonstrating key system characteristics including Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL), reduced acoustic signature, On-The-Move (OTM) command and control, rapid emplacement, system integration, and flight performance. Each vendor will continue prototype development, incorporate feedback and lessons learned, and deliver production representative prototypes for use in future Government-led testing at RTC ultimately informing the Army’s selection for a Tactical Uncrewed Aircraft System program of record.
FTUAS will provide Brigade Combat Teams (BCT) with an organic capability to conduct reconnaissance and surveillance operations that collect, develop, and report actionable intelligence, allowing the BCT commander to maintain dominance during Multi-Domain Operations.
FTUAS transformational capabilities include VTOL for runway independence, OTM command and control, and Soldier led, field-level maintenance. FTUAS’s Modular Open Systems Approach allows the system to keep pace with technology through rapid capability insertions.
The Program Executive Office (PEO) for Aviation at Redstone Arsenal, Ala. is responsible for modernizing the Army Aviation fleet of crewed and uncrewed aircraft to maintain the Army’s asymmetric advantage of peer adversaries in large scale combat operations. PEO Aviation’s Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Project Office is dedicated to rapidly fielding transformational UAS capabilities at echelon to Army formations.
–Program Executive Office, Aviation