US Army Future Tactical Uncrewed Aircraft System (FTUAS)

The Future Tactical Uncrewed Aircraft System (FTUAS) was the US Army's effort to replace the RQ-7B Shadow with a quieter, runway-independent, vertical take-off and landing drone that would give brigade combat teams their own reconnaissance and surveillance capability. After a fly-off that began in December 2018, the Army picked Martin UAV and Textron's AAI in March 2019 to supply candidate aircraft for unit trials, bought one AeroVironment JUMP 20 system for a brigade under Increment 1 in August 2022, and awarded five Increment 2 prototyping agreements in February 2023, with PEO Aviation's Unmanned Aircraft Systems Project Office running the effort. Griffon Aerospace's Valiant and Textron Systems' Aerosonde Mk 4.8 HQ, the two remaining competitors, flew demonstrations at Redstone Test Center in 2024. The Army cancelled FTUAS in May 2025 as part of a wider acquisition overhaul, before choosing a winner.