AeroVironment’s Arcturus UAV subsidiary has been awarded a competitive task order by the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) to provide its JUMP 20 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for the Mid-Endurance Unmanned Aircraft Systems (MEUAS) program. The company is one of six selected for the contract, which enables awardees to compete for site-specific task orders and to provide USSOCOM with drone-based services and support for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) operations.
The JUMP 20 is a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) drone platform that features multi-mission capabilities with an operational range of 185 km (115 mi) and 14+ hours of endurance. The unmanned aircraft was recently demonstrated at the U.S. Army Future Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System (FTUAS) “Rodeo”, an event that took place at Fort Benning, Georgia and showcased UAS from a variety of vendors.
Rick Pedigo, AeroVironment’s vice president of global sales and business development, commented: “Part of AeroVironment’s expanded portfolio of medium UAS, the fixed-wing JUMP 20 is capable of vertical takeoff and landing, making it completely runway independent. Runway independence maximizes the ability of customers to deploy the JUMP 20 in a broad range of locations and environments, while minimizing the logistical footprint required to operate it. JUMP 20 is also capable of hosting multiple different payload options, delivering true versatility and multi-mission capabilities to support a wide array of customer requirements.”
