Textron System’s Aerosonde UAS takes first flight aboard LCS

Aerosonde
Aerosonde UAS taking flight from the ESB-5. NAVAIR Public Release 2023-27 Distribution Statement A - "Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited".
On January 30, 2024, Textron Systems Corporation announced that the Aerosonde® Uncrewed Aircraft System (UAS) took its inaugural operational flight from its first Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), the LCS-28 USS Savannah.
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Textron Systems press release

In June, Textron Systems was awarded a contract by the U.S. Navy’s Naval Air Systems Command Center (NAVAIR) to provide UAS operational support to one Freedom Class and two Independence Class LCS variants.

The Aerosonde UAS will support the LCS missions of forward presence, maritime security, sea control and deterrence with overwatch and extended intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) services with enhanced payloads. The Independence Class LCS marks the fifth class and seventh total ship the Aerosonde system has been contracted to support. 

“Teaming an uncrewed Aircraft System with a crewed ship is a force multiplier for the ship’s existing mission sets, which we’ve seen with our Aerosonde UAS operating from DDG and ESB– class ships,” said Wayne Prender, Senior Vice President of Air Systems. “The expansion of the Aerosonde system’s services onto the LCS extends the capability of the various mission packages employed by the ship.”

The Aerosonde UAS offers multi-mission capability built upon a family of systems which have amassed over 650,000 flight hours over more than 10 years. The system is equipped for multiple payload configurations with both vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) and fixed-wing options.

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About Aerosonde SUAS

Textron Systems Aerosonde SUAS takes 1st flight from US Navy destroyer
Aerosonde SUAS in Sea Air Space 2022 exhibition

Designed for expeditionary land- and sea-based operations and equipped for simultaneous day/night full-motion video, communications relay, signals intelligence, and a customer-selected payload in a single flight, Textron Systems’ Aerosonde Small Unmanned Aircraft System (SUAS) delivers multi-mission performance in a class by itself. It is field-proven with more than 500,000 flight hours, including desert heat and Arctic cold.

The company also offers turnkey, fee-for-service operations with its systems, operators, and trainers. Textron‘s hybrid approach provides hands-on training for customer staff while we launch operations.

System Features

  • Expeditionary land- or sea-based operations
  • Powered by Lycoming® EL-005 heavy-fuel engine for benchmark-setting reliability
  • Covert operation, with negligible visual and auditory signature
  • Multi-intelligence (multi-INT) payloads, i.e., electronic warfare (EW) and communications relay, in a single flight

Payload Capabilities Available: 

  • Full-motion video (FMV) and day/night imaging
  • Voice communications relay
  • Ad-hoc networking (MANET)
  • Synthetic aperture radar (SAR)
  • EW
  • Signals intelligence (SIGINT)
  • Communications intelligence (COMINT)
  • 3D mapping
  • Automatic identification systems (AIS)

Key Data

Aerosonde® Fixed WingAerosonde® HQ
PayloadUp to 20 lbs (9.1 kg) up to 200W15 lbs
Max Wingspan12.0 ft (3.7 m)12.0 ft (3.7 m)
Ceiling15,000 ft (4,572 m)10,000 ft
Range140 km (75 nm)140 km (75 nm)
Max Takeoff Elevation8,000 ft (2,438 m)7,000 ft
UHF-, L-, S- and C-Band CapabilityYesYes
Weight80 lbs (36.4 kg)105 lb
Endurance14+ hr8 hrs (with 10 lb payload)
Automated Launch and RecoverySingle system with hydraulic pneumatic launcher and net recoveryVertical-takeoff-and-landing (VTOL) capability
Airspeed45-65 kt45-65 kt
Transition AltitudeN/A50-150 ft above ground level

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