Universal Launcher for Small Drones Being Tested by US Army Development Shop 

Date:

Washington: On the US Army’s quest to fire the new category of launched effects from ground robots and aircraft, a development shop is working on a universal launcher and eyeing an off-ramp for having industry mass produce it, according to two Army officials.

“We’ve completed the design and [are] testing of the sub elements,” one official with the Army’s Combat Capabilities Development Command said earlier this month at the Project Convergence Capstone 5 event. “We’re going to go into … integrated testing in about a month and that will lead into air and ground demonstrations this summer.”

ads

Launched effects are essentially a small drone that shoots out of something else mid-flight to collect information or strike targets. The service envisions an arsenal with at least three different ranges — short, medium and long — and has moved forward with the first two categories.

In the meantime, DEVCOM has also been working on a launcher for those short- and medium-range weapons. The goal, the two officials said, is to produce a universal launcher the service can integrate onto aircraft and unmanned aerial systems (UAS), as well as manned and unmanned ground vehicles.

Last year the development shop fired the launcher from a trailer, a Humvee and a Polaris Dagor vehicle, and the duo said that they also envision the launcher being integrated onto unmanned platforms like a Small Multipurpose Equipment Transport (SMET) robotic mule.

“We are working on having a remote lock capability for the ground launcher and our goal is to work with GVSC [Ground Vehicle Systems Centre] on their ground robot,” the second official said.

big bang

The tentative plan is to prove out launcher development and create a technical data package that the service owns. At that point, an acquisition shop can host a competition for vendors interested in producing it.

“The beauty of that is they can mass produce it but also give specifications about the [launched effects] going inside,” the second official added.

huges

More like this

Indo-US Diplomatic Tussle at ASEAN Summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not travel to Malaysia...

Strategic Diplomacy Challenges: India’s Greatest Strength Lies in Building Bridges

In an age of shifting power equations and fractured...

PTC Industries Receives GTRE’s Order for Single Crystal Turbine Blade

New Delhi: PTC Industries Limited has achieved a significant...

DGCA Directs Air India to Carry Out Comprehensive Inspection of RAT Systems on All Boeing 787 Dreamliners

New Delhi: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)...

Gaganyaan Mission’s Development Work Progressing Steadily, Touches 90% Completion Mark

New Delhi: The Gaganyaan mission has reached a significant...

Airbus-built SpainSat NG-II Secure Communications Satellite Successfully Launched 

Getafe, Spain. SpainSat NG-II, the second Airbus-built new generation...

Agnikul Cosmos Successfully Test Fires Semi-Cryogenic Rocket Engines

New Delhi: Agnikul Cosmos, the Chennai-based space start-up, has...

First Indigenous ASW SWC Vessel ‘Mahe’ Delivered to Indian Navy by Cochin Shipyard

Kochi: Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) has successfully delivered Mahe,...
Indian Navy Special EditionLatest Issue