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Brigade Combat Teams will help inform requirements for a Future Tactical Unmanned Aerial System

JBLM’s 1st Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, will provide input

A RQ-7B Shadow tactical unmanned aircraft system from Regimental Engineers Squadron, 2d Cavalry Regiment, climbs for altitude at Balli UAS Airfield on Rose Barracks, Vilseck, Germany, July 26. Photo credit: U.S. Army

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Five U.S. Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) Brigade Combat Teams have been identified to participate in an Army Futures Command-directed Future Tactical Unmanned Aerial System (FTUAS) Capability Demonstration beginning this spring.

The participating units are:

  • 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Kentucky
  • 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Fort Bliss, Texas
  • 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, North Carolina
  • 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, Kansas
  • 1st Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Joint Base Lewis-McChord

Advancements in technology afford the Army the opportunity to quickly improve on its current tactical unmanned aerial systems by gaining runway independence, improving its ability to transport this system with organic CH-47 Chinooks, and to lower acoustic signatures. This demonstration will evaluate selected unmanned aerial system to define the capabilities needed in the next generation UAS for Brigade Combat Teams. Data gathered during the demonstration will be critical to determining the requirements for the RQ-7 Shadow replacement.

"Gaining soldier input early in the developmental process provides our cross-functional team invaluable feedback needed in defining the best capabilities for our warfighters. This demonstration will be the signature soldier touch point for Future Vertical Lift in 2020, and it's exciting to see it coming to fruition," said Brig. Gen. Wally Rugen, director of the Future Vertical Lift Cross-Functional Team.

The Army awarded a contract to four Industry partners to provide non-developmental tactical systems, commonly referred as "commercial off the shelf" or COTS technology. The four companies are Martin UAV, LLC; Textron/AAI Corp.; L3 Harris Technologies; and Arcturus UAV.

For more information on the Future Unmanned Aerial Systems capability demo, contact the Future Vertical Lift Cross-Functional Team Public Affairs Office at 256. 955.6579.

For updates throughout the FTUAS capability demonstration, visit: dvidshub.net/feature/FTUAS.

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