New US spy drone can fly at 15,000 feet for 14 hours, pack 30-pound payload
The U.S. Army has received a new type of drone to boost its modern air warfare tactics. Developed by Textron Systems, the MK 4.8 Hybrid Quad (HQ) Aerosonde drone is now part of the U.S. Army’s Future Tactical Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (FTUAS) program.
The U.S. Army revealed that the FTUAS team will now proceed with new equipment training to qualify instructors and operators at the Redstone Test Center on the MK 4.8 HQ Aerosonde system.
This training is expected to be completed by late January 2025.
Multi-payload capability
Built for the Army’s Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs), the Aerosonde Mk. 4.8 HQ’s multi-payload capability gives these groups at the tactical edge greater flexibility in equipping the sensors needed for the environment and the mission, according to Textron Systems.
Aerosonde HQ platform offers multi-mission capability built upon a family of systems that have amassed over 600,000 flight hours. The aircraft’s size, weight, and power (SWAP) profile are optimized to deliver wide area surveillance, day/night full-motion video, communications relay, signals intelligence, and more.
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