Jay Clemens
The U.S. Army has issued a request for information to industry on behalf of the aviation development directorate to solicit ideas on advanced small power systems for future tactical unmanned aerial systems.
That RFI released Thursday says the Army wants the information on potential power systems, related metrics and associated technology maturity to guide the development of systems for future Army aviation applications.
The Army seeks information at the system and component levels that describe candidate technologies, capabilities and risks and development plans to mitigate risks and performance deficiencies.
The Army plans to develop an FTUAS family of aircraft envisioned to comprise a smaller platform meant to support transportation with brigade combat teams and a larger platform with a speed parity compared to current and future manned aircraft.
Other key requirements for the unmanned aerial systems include runway independence, propulsion technology, heavy fuel operation, reduced specific fuel consumption, high horsepower to weight ratio and low environmental noise.
Responses to the RFI are due no later than Nov. 28.
