The US Army has issued an RFI to obtain potential solutions to provide Nano Unmanned Aerial Systems (NUAS) capable of operating in various Army operational environments world-wide.
Experience and information obtained from this request for information will be provided to the Director Rapid Equipping Force who will evaluate the information and feasibility of issuing a procurement action to resolve the stated problem.
The REF has a requirement for a NUAS to be employed by dismounted soldiers in close combat scenarios to aid in threat/target detection in real time. Minimum requirement criteria for the NUAS appear below:
- Must capture and relay intelligence and imagery of sufficient resolution and stability to inform user of potential threat/target in real time
- Must be user friendly, easy to operate, and require minimal training for user proficiency
- Must facilitate automated mission planning inputs as well as dynamic user inputs
- Must be capable of launch without launching system
- Total system (to include but not limited to vehicle(s), base station(s), controller(s), etc.) must weigh less than or equal to 5 lbs
- Must be deployable from storage to launch in less than or equal to 5 minutes
- Must be storable in less than or equal to 5 minutes
- Must successfully operate in steady winds of at least 5 kts
- Must successfully operate in wind gusts of at least10 kts
- Flight endurance must be greater than or equal to 20 minutes
- Flight range must be greater than or equal to 500 m
- Must facilitate nearby operation of multiple NUAS systems without interference
- Must operate safely in the event of a lost data link
- Must be able to fly in precipitation
Source: FedBizOpps