Una nueva generaci\u00f3n de drones de empleo t\u00e1ctico est\u00e1 siendo evaluada por el US ARMY para el empleo de sus unidades t\u00e1cticas, en el marco de un programa denominado FTUAS (Future Tactical Unmanned Aerial System). Los principales requerimientos son la capacidad de despegue vertical, capacidad de vigilancia y reconocimiento nocturna y sistema de propulsi\u00f3n m\u00e1s silencioso para dificultar su detecci\u00f3n Esto se complementa con el programa ALE (Air Launched Effect), un sistema de peque\u00f1os drones lanzados desde aeronaves, con la finalidad de detectar y perturbar a las defensas a\u00e9reas enemigas.<\/p>\n
Army<\/a> aviation officials recently provided an update on the service’s field-testing of its next-generation drone aircraft program, a key modernization effort under Future Vertical Lift (FVL).<\/p>\n The Future Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System (FTUAS) is being developed to replace the current RQ-7B Shadow<\/a> UAS to provide brigade combat teams with day and night reconnaissance and surveillance of enemy forces on the future battlefield.<\/p>\n Modernization officials recently began equipping combat units with prototypes of the FTUAS for field-testing, Brig. Gen. Robert Barrie, commander Program Executive Office Aviation, said last week at the Association of the United States Army’s annual meeting.<\/p>\n “We have five units now that have four different, vendor [prototypes] of Future Tactical UAS — in the hands of soldiers using them,” Barrie said during the virtual webinar.<\/p>\n The soldier touchpoint evaluations, which will continue through fiscal 2021, are designed to help develop future requirements for the program, Army officials say.<\/p>\n “All of that is going to lead to utilization in a [combat training center] by the soldiers, and then feedback will go to the government to say, ‘Hey, how are we going to document using all of the input we have from soldier touchpoints?” Barrie said.<\/p>\n The FTUAS was started roughly two years ago to create a UAS much quieter than current drones that wouldn’t require long stretches of runway to land.<\/p>\n “It was specifically targeted to answer a question: Can we [develop a] runway-independent solution that delivers capabilities similar to Shadow and does it in a way that is less acoustically noisy and is more transportable rapidly,” Barrie said.<\/p>\n The FTUAS would also be deployable using CH-47 Chinook<\/a> helicopters and provide commanders more flexibility on the battlefield, Army officials said<\/p>\n The FVL effort includes the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft <\/a>(FLRAA) effort designed to replace the UH-60 Black Hawk<\/a> and the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft <\/a>(FARA) designed to fill the gap left open by the retired OH-58 Kiowa Warrior<\/a> scout helicopter.<\/p>\n