Revolutionizing Maritime and Land Operations: the Aerosonde UAS
Textron Systems’ Aerosonde® Uncrewed Aircraft System (UAS) has established itself as a pivotal asset in both terrestrial and maritime operations, boasting an impressive track record of over 650,000 flight hours.
Versatile Mission Capabilities
This aircraft is not just reliable; it is designed for a multitude of missions. The Aerosonde UAS is equipped with advanced features such as full-motion video capabilities for both day and night, wide-area surveillance, synthetic aperture radar (SAR), communications relay, Automatic Identification System (AIS) interrogation, and options for signals intelligence. This versatility allows it to fulfill diverse mission requirements in a single flight.
Compact Yet Powerful
Despite its extensive capabilities, the Aerosonde UAS maintains a compact design, offering operational flexibility for various missions. Currently, it is contracted to support seven U.S. Navy vessels,demonstrating its seamless integration with Department of Defense (DoD) ships.The Aerosonde is actively enhancing operations aboard Littoral Combat Ships (LCS), Expeditionary Sea Base (ESB) vessels, and Guided Missile Destroyers (DDGs). By augmenting the existing functionalities of these ships, the Aerosonde facilitates expanded mission sets, providing mission oversight and improved Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) services through multi-INT capabilities.
Adapting to Dynamic needs
Kyle, a Senior Program Manager, emphasized, “Our systems are engineered to quickly adapt to a variety of payloads and sensor configurations that can be deployed together, offering the Navy a flexible and high-value ISR capability that enhances maritime domain awareness.”
He further noted, “The ability to search, identify, and track targets using both optical and radio frequency technologies is a meaningful advantage when monitoring vast oceanic areas.”
Kyle added,“The Navy operates in a highly dynamic habitat with constantly changing requirements. Ships frequently move in and out of ports globally, so the ability to adjust to real-time mission changes while ensuring high reliability and system readiness is crucial for operational success.”
Innovative Design: The Aerosonde Hybrid Quad
The Aerosonde Hybrid Quad (HQ) UAS, which builds on the established Aerosonde fixed-wing platform, features an even more compact design thanks to its vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) capabilities. This eliminates the need for launch and recovery equipment, making the Aerosonde HQ an ideal choice for maritime and mobile missions.
Proven Performance in Real-World Scenarios
During its involvement in UNITAS 2023—an international naval exercise where the system was deployed from the USNS Burlington—and a U.S.Navy hybrid fleet event last year that included cross-domain operations with an Uncrewed service Vehicle (USV), the Aerosonde HQ showcased its significant contributions to maritime missions. Coupled with its established performance and remarkable reliability, the Aerosonde HQ offers unmatched mission capability and adaptability.
