The integrated designer and mass manufacturer of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), RapidFlight, has entered into a partnership with the United States Department of Defense (DoD) on the Replicator initiative, which focuses on the rapid production of autonomous vehicles to field thousands of autonomous systems across multiple warfighting domains.
Deploying large numbers of cheap drones rapidly is considered a strategy for concerns about rivals like China flooding the world with cheap, much lower-tech weaponry like AK-47s.
RapidFlight is positioning itself among the companies vying for drone supremacy through its ability to print, assemble, and fly long-range, high-payload unmanned aircraft in support of the Replicator Initiative to offer thousands of cheap, smart combat drones for conflicts.
RapidFlight with its expertise in modular design and digital mass manufacturing can produce and deliver thousands of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to the DoD and foreign allies with as little as six weeks of lead time. These aircraft are designed and built with reconfigurable payloads to use for various mission needs including ISR, kinetic, EW, swarm, and others.
The company’s UAS products such as the versatile E2 UAS can increase mission capability by three to five times at a better cost than existing solutions in the market.
Meanwhile, other products, like Group 2 and Group 3 electric, gasoline, heavy fuel, and hydrogen aircraft supported by cutting-edge intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) payloads and communication systems, are also equipped with capabilities, designed to enhance situational awareness, operational flexibility, as well as mission effectiveness in contested environments.
Recently, the company announced the release of its customer-proven Mobile Production System (MPS), allowing the manufacturing and deployment of UAVs from forward locations. A single MPS can manufacture up to 28 Group 3 aircraft per month. Each MPS unit can be operated independently or need two technicians in case it is paired with other MPS units. They are not only easily transported by traditional ground, sea, or air vehicles, but it is also convenient as MPS is powered via any 110v-240v AC power source in the world. MPS can operate in wet, dry, hot, cold, clean, and dirty environments with limits set from -20º F to 130º F and very high humidity.
Article & Image Source: RapidFlight
