The U.S. Army has begun evaluating tactical unmanned aircraft systems intended to replace the venerable RQ-7 Shadow drone, which has been in service since the early 2000s.
 
The 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division conducted the first soldier-operated flight on April 7, flying an Arcturus Jump 20, a 210-pound aircraft with an 18-foot wingspan that is capable of vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL).
 
It's also quieter than the Shadow.
 
"We’re used to screaming at each other and having to use radios in order to communicate,” Spc. Christopher McCoy, a crew chief, said in an Army press release. “You can stand right next to this aircraft and not even raise your voice."
 
The VTOL capability also lessens the workload, as a runway isn't needed and "we're working with half the equipment," said Spc. Nicholas Miller, an unmanned aircraft systems operator.
 
The Arcturus Jump 20, built by California-based Arcturus UAV, has a total payload capacity of 60 pounds, including fuel, and an endurance of up to 15 hours. Its VTOL capability is provided by four engines located on wing spars, and it can be converted to catapult launch as well, according to the company.
 
The soldiers of the "Devil Brigade" will operate the Jump 20 over the next five months as a surrogate for their RQ-7 Shadow, performing similar tasks. The evaluation is continuing amid the Covid-19 crisis, with the Army following CDC and DOD guidelines to prevent coronavirus spread.
 
Other Army units will operate the competing UAS systems, the Martin V-Bat, Textron Aerosonde HQ and L3 Harris FVR-90 and are sheduled to begin their evaluations in coming months. Another unit will operate a second Arcturus vehicle.
 
Below: Spc. Nicholas Miller conducts flight operations through a laptop-based ground control station during the FTUAS capabilities assessment at Fort Riley, Kansas, April 8. Photo: Program Executive Office Aviation