Technology Training - Click Here!

RQ-16: One Small Step for a UAV, One Big Step for FCS Class I

Related Stories: Americas - USA, Boeing, Britain/U.K., Contracts - Awards, FOCUS Articles, New Systems Tech, Other Corporation, Project Methodologies, T&C - SAIC, Testing & Evaluation, Transformation, UAVs

Advertisement
MAV Launch
Class 1 MAV
(click to view full)
DII

In October 2005, “Four FCS UAV Sub-Contracts Awarded” tended to focus on the larger Class II company and Class III battalion-level options, while a FOCUS Article covering the MQ-8B Fire Scout addresses the Class IV brigade-level UAV for the Army’s Future Combat Systems (FCS) program. The smaller “Class I” platoon-level UAV options were addressed only in passing, largely because that aspect of the program wasn’t yet at the same level of development. That has changed.

The FCS Class I UAV will be used for reconnaissance, security and target acquisition operations in nearly all terrain, including urban environments. Each system of 2 vertical take-off and landing air vehicles, a dismounted control device, and associated ground support equipment will be carried by selected platforms and dismounted soldiers, and will use autonomous flight, navigation, and recovery.

This is DID’s FOCUS Article for the Class I effort, which survived the 2007 reorganization of the FCS program. It’s now known as the RQ-16 T-Hawk. The USA and Britain continue to place orders, and ongoing research may even give them GPS targeting capabilities one day…

Displaying 199 of 2,446 words (about 7 pages)


Subscribe to DID's Defense Industry Insider

One Source: Hundreds of programs; Thousands of links, photos, and analyses

DII brings a complete collection of articles with original reporting and research, and expert analyses of events to your desktop - no need for multiple modules, or complex subscriptions. All supporting documents, links, & appendices accompany each article.

Benefits

  • Save time
  • Eliminate your blind spots
  • Get the big picture, quickly
  • Keep up with the important facts
  • Stay on top of your projects and your competitors

Features

  • Ability to conduct complex searches
  • Coverage of procurement and doctrine issues
  • Timeline of past and future program events
  • Comprehensive links to other useful resources
Subscribe Now

Images on Defense Industry Daily

Defense Industry Daily does not own the rights to the images displayed on our site. We use images under "fair use" copyright doctrine, from public sources and private organizations, or use images under Creative Commons/ GNU licenses that make them available to the general public, or with explicit and noted permission. All rights remain with the original image owners.

If you believe that a DID image may violate these conditions, please discuss it with us via an email to editorial@defenseindustrydaily.com

The sizes displayed on DID are the only sizes we have to offer.


Close