AeroVironment JUMP 20
Beginning in 2009, the company Arcturus UAV developed the T-20, a small unmanned tactical ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) aircraft, able to operate from ships and unimproved surfaces. The drone is launched from a portable pneumatic catapult, and retrieved either by capturing it in a net, or by a belly landing. It has a GPS-based autopilot for autonomous flying, and a two-way line-of-sight radio datalink for operator control. Standard payload is a gimballed EO/IR camera system for real-time video. Additionally, the T-20 has an internal payload bay for pre-assembled mission packages, and can also be fitted with 4 optional wing hardpoints for additional sensors or small dropped munitions.
The JUMP 20 is a derivative of the T-20, which features wing-mounted booms, each with two electrically powered rotors for VTOL operations. In 2021, Arcturus UAV was acquired by AeroVironment Inc., which is further developing the JUMP 20 platform and marketing it as a long-endurance fixed-wing VTOL UAV. The payload options have been expanded, and the maximum payload capacity of the JUMP 20 is 13.6 kg (30 lb).
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| Photo: AeroVironment |
| JUMP 20 |
In 2022, the U.S. Army selected the JUMP 20 as its FTUAS (Future Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System) Increment 1 system. FTUAS is to replace the runway-dependent RQ-7B Shadow by a VTOL tactical UAV. Increment 1 is just an interim solution, and therefore only one JUMP 20 system, with 6 air vehicles, was acquired. In 2023, the Army announced that AeroVironment has been eliminated from the ongoing competion for FTUAS Increment 2.
Specifications
Note: Data given by several sources show slight variations. Figures given below may therefore be inaccurate!
Data for JUMP 20:
| Length | 2.9 m (9.5 ft) |
| Wingspan | 5.7 m (18.8 ft) |
| Weight | max: 97.5 kg (215 lb) |
| Speed | 93 km/h (58 mph) |
| Ceiling | ? |
| Range | 185 km (115 miles) |
| Endurance | > 13h |
| Propulsion | 190 ccm gasoline engine + battery-powered electric motors for VTOL |
Main Sources
[1] AeroVironment Inc: JUMP® 20
[2] Wikipedia: AeroVironment T-20
[3] DefenseNews, Jen Judson:
Army taps AeroVironment’s Jump 20 to replace Shadow unmanned system
[4] DefenseNews, Jen Judson:
Army eliminates AeroVironment from future tactical UAS competition
Back to Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles, Appendix 4
Last Updated: 26 June 2024