The Textron Systems Aerosonde® Mk. 4.8 HQ FTUAS is an ultra-reliable high-performance unmanned aircraft that has been purpose-built to meet the U.S. Army’s Future Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System program requirements, providing Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs) with a two-person-portable reconnaissance capability. Designed according to MOSA (Modular Open Systems Approach) guidelines, the VTOL aircraft is runway-independent and can be operated from an extremely low logistical footprint, with the entire system able to be assembled and launched in under 30 minutes.
The powerful UAS is driven by a heavy fuel engine that can operate on JP-5, JP-8, F44, Jet-A, or Jet-A1. With a carrying capacity of 25 lbs, it can be equipped with up to six payloads on a single flight, with over 40 different possibilities including:
- EO/IR imaging systems
- Maritime wide-area search
- SAR (synthetic aperture radar)
- AIS (Automatic Identification Systems)
- EW (electronic warfare) and SIGINT (signals intelligence) payloads
- LiDAR scanners
- MANET (mobile ad-hoc networking) communications
Specifications:
| MGTOW: | 205 lbs (93 kg) |
| Payload Capacity: | Up to 50 lbs (22.7 kg) |
| Max Endurance: | 14 hrs |
| Datalink Bands: | L, S, C Ku |
| Service Ceiling: | 15,000 ft (5000 m) |
