Army engineers and industry scientists evaluated autonomous behaviours performed by surrogate UAS for the launched effects programme at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona, in September 2024. (US Army Yuma Proving Ground)
The US Army's developmental launched effects (LE) programme is progressing in its acquisition path and is expected to be part of the Autonomous Multidomain Launcher (AML) munition set as it matures, announced Brigadier General Cain Baker, director of the Future Vertical Lift Cross Functional Team (CFT).
A special user demonstration for the LE Short Range (LE-SR) is expected to take place in the third quarter of fiscal year (FY) 2025, Brig Gen Baker said on 3 December at an Association of the United States Army (AUSA) event. The selections for the three vendors have been made, and the office is working through statements of work with each of the vendors, a spokesperson for the Program Executive Office for Aviation told Janes .
After contracts have been awarded “at a later date”, the office will announce the vendors. “The army does not discuss contract negotiations,” the spokesperson said on 9 December.
Users will get to operate the three competitors' solutions at the brigade level inside of the fire cell, “so we understand how we're going to actually plan for these, how we're going to push the data, how we're going to receive the data, and how that really all correlates back to the targeting process”, said Brig Gen Baker.
Part of the technology maturation path for the LE programme across the ranges – in addition to LE-SR, LE Medium Range (MR), and Long Range (LR) – is finding a launcher that can support different types of unmanned aircraft systems (UASs) that will be in the LE programme.
Autonomy
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