Army Terminates FTUAS Program
During a Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing held on May 8, Senator Jack Reed (D-R.I.), the ranking member, disclosed the Army’s decision to cancel the Future Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System (FTUAS) program.
The objective of the FTUAS initiative was to develop a lighter, quieter, agile, and easily maintainable Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) vehicle capable of gathering actionable intelligence across various operations. This program aimed to equip Brigade Combat Teams with a self-sufficient capability for reconnaissance and surveillance.
The cancellation corresponds with the broader efforts to streamline operations within the Department of Defense, which includes cuts to several other programs and initiatives. On May 9, an Army spokesperson confirmed the termination of the FTUAS program in statements to Breaking Defense.
Currently, the Textron MK 4.8 HQ Aerosonde and Griffon Aerospace’s Valiant were the two finalists remaining in the FTUAS Rapid Prototyping Effort. In a related development, Red Cat Teal was declared the Program of Record for the Army’s Short-Range Reconnaissance (SRR) small unmanned aerial system (sUAS) in November 2024.
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