US Army to deploy ARGUS

The U.S. Army is developing a helicopter-like, VTOL (vertical-take-off-and-landing) UAS (unmanned aircraft system) with a DARPA-sponsored ARGUS wide-area surveillance sensor suite designed to beam back information and images of the surrounding terrain. The U.S. Army is using a hybrid-type acquisition approach to develop a helicopter-like, VTOL (vertical-take-off-and-landing) UAS (unmanned aerial system) with a DARPA-sponsored ARGUS wide-area surveillance sensor suite designed to beam back information and images of the surrounding terrain, service officials said. Military.mil reports that beginning in May or June of 2012, the Army will deploy three Boeing-built A160 Hummingbird to Afghanistan as part of a Quick Reaction Capability, an acquisition approach aimed at delivering cutting-edge and emerging technologies to theater to add capability and inform requirements while simultaneously developing a formal Program of Record approach, said Lt. Col. Matthew Munster, product manager, UAS Modernization. “These aircraft will deploy for up to one full year as a way to harness lessons learned and funnel them into a program of record,” Munster said. The formal VTOL Program of Record will involve a full and open competition among many vendors able to propose UAS solutions able to meet the desired requirements, he added. Army VTOL UAS program developers and engineers are now finishing up some wiring work on the A160 aircraft and performing ground tests with the ARGUS sensor suite. “The ARGUS sensor suite has never been flown on this platform before so we […]
US Army to deploy ARGUS