{"id":40070,"date":"2021-01-15T20:59:12","date_gmt":"2021-01-15T20:59:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2021\/01\/15\/us-army-taps-industry-for-autonomous-drones-to-resupply-troops\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T23:18:30","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T23:18:30","slug":"us-army-taps-industry-for-autonomous-drones-to-resupply-troops","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/land\/2021\/01\/15\/us-army-taps-industry-for-autonomous-drones-to-resupply-troops\/","title":{"rendered":"US Army taps industry for autonomous drones to resupply troops"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2014 The U.S. Army is tapping industry for drones that can deliver supplies to infantry brigade combat teams in the field<\/a>, according to a request for information posted to the federal contracting website Beta.Sam.Gov<\/a> on Jan. 13.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Army Futures Command\u2019s Sustainment Capabilities Development and Integration Directorate as well as the Marine Corps\u2019 Capabilities Development and Integration office began looking in earnest at a concept called the \u201cJoint Tactical Autonomous Aerial Resupply System,\u201d about two years ago with the hope of getting a capabilities development document signed in three years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the concept has been alive for much longer<\/a>. In 2018, the JTAARS concept was on an evaluation list for the Joint Warfighting Assessment in Grafenwoehr, Germany.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The services plan to field the system by 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The drone should already be technologically mature<\/a> to demonstrate capability, weigh less than a Group 3 drone \u2014 or less than approximately 1,300 pounds \u2014 and be able to haul up to 800 pounds of supplies to the field to provide an organic sustainment capability for infantry brigade combat teams in a multidomain operational environment, according to the request for information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The drone should also be able to operate in a 110-mile radius at day or night, and in bad weather conditions, as well as plug into current and future tactical command-and-control systems, the RFI read.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Setup time to launch a package should take 15 minutes, and two to four soldiers should be able to lift it out of a transport container, the RFI said. This means the system should be lightweight and easy to use, the document explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The drone must automatically launch, navigate in GPS-denied environments, drop cargo, land and return to its point of origin, the document added. The system should also be able to avoid obstacles and pick optimal flight paths and landing sites on its own, the RFI explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Turnaround time between missions should be minimal, according to the RFI, and the system should be modular and open in order to integrate a variety of payloads and software needed, but it also must be secure from cyberattacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\t