Unmanned Aerial Systems Launched Effects Systems Development

Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) are critical systems in the cross-domain capabilities concept that will employ multi-domain operation (MDO) capabilities at all echelons and will allow ground-based forces to project power from land into other domains to defeat highly capable enemies, secure terrain, and consolidate gains. Group 4+ UAS S/VTOL provides a short/vertical takeoff and landing, expeditionary, extended range reconnaissance, surveillance, target acquisition (RSTA) with multiple sensors, communications, lethality and electromagnetic warfare capability. UAS supports Human Machine Integrated Formations (HMIF) and provides the opportunity to learn, fail, refine requirements, and develop solutions faster than our adversaries. UAS incorporates soldier feedback from materiel solution(s) to enhance survivability in an MDO environment through modular payloads to facilitate upgraded communication, encryption, and lethality at the pace of technology. UAS provides enhanced transportability, rapid deployability, expeditionary maneuver, and mobility for adaptive and agile operations. One system consists of multiple air vehicles with Modular Mission Payloads (MMPs), ground control stations, and ancillary equipment. The aircraft subsystem includes the airframe, propulsion system, avionics, communications, navigation, and software systems. Aircraft-specific ground support equipment includes power generation, transportation, command and control equipment, aircraft software and MMPs. Additionally, Ultra Endurance-UAS (UE-UAS; previously referred to as Long Endurance) provide an organic solution capable of long endurance, aerial tier network extension with deep sensing and effects needed for highly dispersed, Anti-Access/Area Denial environments. LE-UAS meets Combatant Command persistent Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance coverage and loiter capability, increased communications relay, and Assured Positioning, Navigation, and timing deep sensing and aerial tier network extension critical capability gaps within the Southern border and other requiring COCOMs. The Brigade (BDE) UAS initiative will rapidly deliver critical capabilities to Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs) and the Army Transformation and Training Command (T2COM), addressing identified gaps in RSTA, communications, lethality, and electronic warfare.

Launched Effects (LE) are a family of air- and ground-launched unmanned systems designed to autonomously or semi-autonomously deliver mission effects-either as independent agents or as a member of a collaborative networked team. LE extends the speed, range, lethality, and survivability of maneuver formations through the integration of air vehicles, mission systems, payloads, and behaviors. LE will provide Army formations with the ability to expedite and strengthen the kill web, facilitate the penetration and dis-integration the enemy's Anti-Access Area Denial (A2AD) environment and extend the maneuver force's reach, lethality, and survivability. LE efforts are based on requirements from an Army Requirements Oversight Council (AROC), approved Abbreviated-Capability Development Document (A-CDD), approved 19 July 2024, and the Army Transformation and Acquisition Reform SECDEF memorandum signed 30 April 2025. In FY 2026, UAS continued the Urgent Capability Acquisition (UCA) authority requirement and will issue LE capability to every division per 30 April 2025 SECDEF memorandum. In FY 2027 LE will respond to high demand signal from EUCOM, PACOM, and other areas of responsibility for LE. Manned, optionally-manned, and uncrewed systems will penetrate defense-in-depth environments by employing LE with teaming and swarming effects to detect, decoy, jam radar and communications, conduct cyber-attack, spoof and jam Global Positioning System (GPS), and kinetic engagement. The UAS Marketplace expands the Defense Industrial Base, expedites capability delivery, and provides warfighters with vetted, flexible solutions to meet mission requirements. The UAS Marketplaces operationalizes a streamlined acquisition framework for both Programs of Record (PoR) and emerging capabilities, while also serving as the mechanism to demonstrate, assess and perform verifications on a range of UAS solutions. The UAS Marketplace empowers the warfighter at the tactical edge, providing the flexibility to procure vetted, mission-specific UAS solutions. The PM UAS will leverage this centralized marketplace to execute UAS procurements and deliveries, ensuring soldiers are equipped through a modern, efficient, scalable, and capability-validated marketplace.

Mobile Brigade Combat Teams (MBCTs) lack adequate organic capabilities at echelon to apply immediate, point, long range, and direct fire effects to destroy tanks, light armored vehicles, hardened targets, targets in defilade, and personnel targets, while producing minimal collateral damage in complex terrain in all environmental conditions. Development will focus on the Fire Control Stations (FCS), All-Up Round (AUR), and System Architecture. System Architecture will include integrating with Soldier Borne Mission command (SBMC), Next Generation Command and Control (NGC2) and complete Universal Vehicle Control (UVC) compliance and integration. Develop technology for incorporation into the CDD update, for the enduring program, and conduct tech enhancements from current global conflicts. In addition, LASSO is supporting Transformation in Contact (TiC) in support of Indo-Pacific efforts to expand prepositioned stocks and increase deployments and exercises to support strategic presence in the region. FY 2027 RDT&E funding will be used to conduct evaluations of technologies and capabilities in the loitering munitions capability space, hardware and system architecture engineering and integration activities, and testing and evaluation activities. LASSO is awarding up to four hardware contracts to modernize the industrial base and generate the domestic ammunition stockpiles. The total cost of the Low Altitude Stalking and Strike Ordinance (LASSO) Middle Tier of Acquisition (MTA) effort is $209.4 million RDT&E from FY25 to FY29. This includes FY25 Base funding of $15.767 million and mandatory funding of $12.587 million on 0604827A Project LS2.

The Family of Small Uncrewed Aircraft systems are critical to the Army's Transformation in Contact. The Joint Small Uncrewed Aircraft System sUAS Capability Development Document (J-sUAS CDD) solves current and emergent operational gaps by incorporating Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) including swappable payloads, advanced autonomy and software scalability. These systems provide battalion and below ground maneuver elements with critical situational awareness and enhanced force protection as well as responsive reconnaissance and targeting capability with real-time Full Motion Video and sensor data. Each system will include aircraft, ground support equipment, ground control station and Uncrewed Vehicle Control (UVC) software. The Short-Range Reconnaissance (SRR) provides organic maneuver platoons an uncrewed air vehicle designed to support Reconnaissance, Surveillance, and Target Acquisition (RSTA). The system has an aircraft weight of less than 5 lbs, a range of 3-5 km, and an endurance greater than 30 minutes. The system includes modular payloads, obstacle avoidance, target recognition, automated following, and networked capability. The Medium Range Reconnaissance (MRR) system, informed by the Company Level Directed Requirement (SUAS DR), provides organic RSTA capability within the Maneuver Company of Brigade Combat Teams. The systems will have 10km range and 8-hour endurance. System will include Assured Positioning, Navigation and Timing (APNT), Electro-Optical/Infra-Red (EO/IR), laser targeting, and kinetic architectures in a contested environment. The Long-Range Reconnaissance (LRR) System provides organic maneuver battalions an uncrewed air vehicle designed to support RSTA efforts. The systems have an aircraft weight of less than 55 lbs., a range of 40-60 km and endurance of 5-10 hours. System includes APNT, EO/IR, laser targeting, and kinetic architectures in a contested environment. The Joint Tactical Autonomous Aerial Resupply System (JTAARS) is an autonomous aerial cargo delivery system, organic to the maneuver commander, that provides options for rapid and agile sustainment of highly mobile tactical combat forces, operating in a widely dispersed manner in the tactical support and close areas.

Uncrewed Vehicle Control (UVC) Scalable Control Interface (SCI) is a permissions-based software control suite used by Soldiers to simultaneously control multiple, disparate types of uncrewed or optionally-manned aircraft and payloads through a universal interface with scalable levels of authority. SCI distributes UAS capabilities by greatly enabling more control devices available to Soldiers, Commanders, and Battle Staff. SCI provides simultaneous employment of multiple aircraft/payloads from a single control node. SCI leverages a Modular Open System Approach (MOSA) to software in order to reduce time and cost to integrate new hardware and software in response to the dynamic future operating environment. Deployment of SCI includes devices in the Mobile/Handheld Computing Environment (such as Nett Warrior), Mounted Computing Environment such as Mounted Family of Computer Systems (MFoCS), Command Post Computing Environment such as Tactical Services Infrastructure (TSI), fixed wing aircraft, and rotary wing aircraft. SCI will integrate decision aiding, autonomy, and artificial intelligence improvements as they technically mature, in order to support Multi-Domain Operations and reduce cognitive workload. Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 UAS (RDT&E) funding supports Test and Evaluation efforts for SUAS and software development and system integration of Long Range Reconnaissance (LRR) and Launched Effects.

Long Range Precision Munition (LRPM) is the lethal variant of the Launched Effects (LE) Family of Systems which provide a range of capabilities through variations of platforms, payloads, and mission systems. LE provides tactical and operational flexibility through collaboration of heterogeneous groups of LE launched from multiple domains (land and air) in conjunction with other manned platforms, C2, unmanned systems, and sensors throughout the operational environment. The ability to interoperate and coordinate with other LE systems at long ranges and adapt to changing threats is a core concept of the Launched Effects Abbreviated Capability Development Document validated in June 2024. The primary target set for LRPM is Integrated Air Defense Systems. LRPM will provide Army Aviation and Ground Forces with a precise long range munition system to rapidly respond in a combat environment to improve the lethality and stand-off of Warfighters and aviation platforms in an Anti-Access Area Denial (A2AD) and positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) denied environment. The total cost of the LRPM Middle Tier of Acquisition (MTA) Rapid Prototyping (RP) effort is $122.5 million RDT&E from FY24 to FY29. The LRPM MTA-RP is fully funded across the Future Years Defense Program.

Project A59 - Soldier Borne Sensor (SBS): The SBS is a small unmanned aerial vehicle. The SBS provides a near term solution to three Army War-fighting Challenges at the Infantry Squad level: develop situational understanding, conduct air-ground reconnaissance, and conduct joint combined arms maneuver. The system is simple to deploy and use to support the squad leader's decision-making process. The system allows Soldiers to obtain local situational awareness and understanding of their immediate surroundings while remaining in covered or concealed positions. The SBS program will be procured through multiple phases. The program will develop, integrate, and qualify additional capabilities for each phase. In FY 2026, this effort will be a continuation from Program Element (PE) 0604827A/FK4 Soldier Borne Sensors (SBS). This effort is not a new start.