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American defence contractor AeroVironment has announced the launch of its Red Dragon unmanned aircraft system for one-way attack missions.
The fully autonomous capable, software-defined unmanned aircraft system (UAS) can reportedly be operated in high-threat, GPS-denied and communications-degraded environments. The UAS is designed to penetrate contested airspace and operate in denied, disrupted, intermittent and low bandwidth environments.
The system is capable of autonomous execution of mission objectives without reliance on continuous operator input or satellite navigation.
“Red Dragon represents a significant step forward in autonomous lethality,” said Jeff Rodrian, executive vice president, MacCready Works.
“By combining advanced autonomy, GNSS-independent navigation and mass producibility, Red Dragon delivers a mission-ready system designed for today’s contested battlespace.
“It is the first of a new generation of autonomous systems built for scale, speed and operational relevance.”
Red Dragon is built on the company’s AVACORE shared software architecture for rapid development, scalable manufacturing and modular mission integration.
The new UAS is expected to use the company’s SPOTR-Edge perception system for detection and classification of targets to aid the operator in making decisions via the DDIL radio system.
“At AV, our mission is to change the way wars are fought – by putting the safety, survivability and operational advantage of our warfighters first,” said Wahid Nawabi, president and chief executive of AV.
“Red Dragon reflects the kind of breakthrough capability that ensures US and allied forces stay ahead in an increasingly complex threat environment.
“It’s not just about autonomy – it’s about delivering trusted, mission-defining technologies that protect lives and reshape the future of defence.”
