Dron P550 de AeroVironment, reconocimiento y ataque 

Drone maker AeroVironment has developed a new drone designed for reconnaissance missions that is capable of staying airborne for up to five hours on a single charge.

The new drone, dubbed P550, can also reportedly drop bombs during strike missions and was designed as a product under the U.S. Army’s Long-Range Reconnaissance (LRR) program.

According to the makers of the P550, the drone can take off and land vertically and can carry up to 15 lbs worth of bombs, cameras or sensors. Additionally, the P550 is 17 ft x 9 ft in size and weighs around 55 lbs.

The P550, which is an autonomous Group 2 electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) unmanned aircraft system (UAS), can be remotely piloted or flown autonomously, based on the requirements of the battlefield. Further, the P550 offers advanced situational awareness as well as enhanced force protection, such as targeting and strike capabilities.

Thanks to its modular open system approach (MOSA) design, the P550 integrates with assorted third-party payloads, data links and mission planning software, thereby offering adaptability to evolving mission demands, according to the company.

The P550 can also be quickly reconfigured in the field in under five minutes by swapping payloads and batteries without needing specific tools.

The company adds that the P550 has a link range of 24 miles, which can extend to up to 37 miles with DDL range, depending on GCS Radio, and it features a VNS Day/Night VIO navigation system with laser terrain matching and flexible radio options with frequency hopping.

For more on the P550, visit the AeroVironment website.