Army Future Tactical Drone Introduces New Concepts of Attack

By Kris Osborn, President, Center for Military Modernization

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.