The US Army moved forward on plans to develop a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) replacement for the Textron Systems RQ-7 Shadow under a program known as the Future Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System (FTUAS). On Aug. 16, Defense News reported that the Army Requirements Oversight Council (AROC) had approved an abbreviated capabilities development document (ACDD) for the FTUAS, establishing requirements for the future tactical drone and opening the way for the Army to proceed to the rapid prototyping phase of the program. The decision comes after a yearlong trial period during which Army soldiers evaluated potential RQ-7 Shadow replacements in the field, part of what the Army has called a "buy, try, inform" approach designed to refine requirements. The Army has separated the FTUAS acquisition into two stages: Increment 1 aircraft will meet the Army's immediate operational needs and replace the Shadow, while Increment 2 aircraft will meet the full requirements of the FTUAS program and replace Increment 1. Following the AROC's decision, the Army published a solicitation on Sept. 7, calling on industry partners to submit white papers for FTUAS Increment 1. On Oct. 1, the Aviation Missile Technology Consortium (AMTC) - which includes the Vertical Lift Consortium (VLC) - released a request for white papers for the FTUAS Increment 2. Meanwhile, Boeing revealed in October that it had developed a VTOL version of its Insitu subsidiary's RQ-21 Blackjack UAS, called the Integrator (shown), to compete for FTUAS Increment 2.
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