Arcturus UAV awarded $7 million task order for MEUAS program

AeroVironment, Inc. (Simi Valley, Calif., U.S.), a global leader in unmanned aircraft systems, announced on March 9 that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Arcturus UAV, Inc. (Petaluma, Calif., U.S.), now operating under the AeroVironment brand, was awarded a competitive task order valued at approximately $7 million from the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM, Tampa, Fla., U.S.) for its mid-endurance unmanned aircraft systems (MEUAS) program. The competitive task order is for a one-year period of performance, which started Feb. 3, 2021.

USSOCOM reportedly selected Arcturus UAV as one of six companies qualified for the potential $975 million Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) MEUAS contract in June 2020. The contract enables awardees to compete for site-specific task orders and provide USSOCOM with unmanned aircraft systems services and support for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) operations.

“Part of AeroVironment’s expanded portfolio of medium UAS [unmanned aircraft systems], the fixed-wing JUMP 20, is capable of vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL), making it completely runway independent,” says Rick Pedigo, AeroVironment vice president of global sales and business development. “Runway independence maximizes the ability of customers to deploy the JUMP 20 in a broad range of locations and environments, while minimizing the logistical footprint required to operate it. JUMP 20 is also capable of hosting multiple different payload options, delivering true versatility and multi-mission capabilities to support a wide array of customer requirements.” JUMP 20, like a majority of Arcturus’s UAVs, use composite components.

AeroVironment says it has also successfully demonstrated the JUMP 20 for the U.S. Army Future Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System (FTUAS) “Rodeo,” which took place from Feb. 22 through March 5 at Fort Benning, Georgia.