- The United States Air Force has issued a request for information seeking vertical takeoff and landing unmanned aircraft systems capable of long-range intelligence and surveillance missions for Task Force 99.
- The requested Group 2 drone must provide runway-independent launch capability, extended endurance, and payload capacity to support operations from austere environments.
The United States Air Force has issued a request for information seeking vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) small unmanned aircraft systems capable of operating from austere locations to support operations conducted by Task Force 99, according to a notice released March 5.
The effort reflects a requirement to expand operational flexibility for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions by eliminating the need for runway infrastructure currently required by existing unmanned aircraft.
The request was issued by the Department of the Air Force’s Theater Contracting Office under Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central) at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
According to the document, Task Force 99 currently relies on a fixed-wing Group 2 unmanned aircraft system used as both a testing platform and operational asset for medium-range intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions.
However, the current platform requires a compact runway of approximately 200 meters to safely launch and recover, limiting the locations from which operators can deploy the aircraft.
“The current operational platform requires a compact and flat runway of at least 200 meters to land and takeoff safely which limits where a flight crew can feasibly launch from,” the document states.
Officials said these limitations can place launch points farther from areas of operational interest, increasing mission risk.
“A VTOL capable aircraft with comparable performance characteristics would remove the limitation to improved surfaces for launch,” the notice explains.
The Air Force is therefore seeking commercially available systems capable of vertical takeoff and landing without requiring prepared runways or infrastructure.
Under the program outline, the requested aircraft must fall within the Group 2 small unmanned aircraft category and include a ground control station and radio control transmitter.
The drone must be capable of operating from unimproved surfaces and austere environments while maintaining medium-range mission performance.
According to the specifications outlined in the request, the aircraft should be able to carry a payload of at least three kilograms while maintaining extended flight endurance.
Minimum endurance for the system is listed as 6.5 hours of sustained flight while carrying the payload, with an objective performance goal of up to 20 hours.
The aircraft must also be capable of completing mission profiles with ranges of at least 1,100 kilometers while carrying the payload, with a desired objective range of up to 1,800 kilometers.
Payload capacity is specified at a minimum of five kilograms, with an objective capacity of up to eleven kilograms.
The system must also provide electrical power for payload equipment, supporting a sustained power draw of 24 volts at 180 amperes, with a desired capability of 48 volts at the same current.
Operational altitude requirements include a minimum service ceiling of 3,000 meters, with a target capability of reaching up to 4,000 meters under standard atmospheric conditions.
The drone’s cruise speed must reach at least 80 kilometers per hour, with a desired performance of 110 kilometers per hour during mission operations.
Transportability and rapid deployment are also included among the program requirements.
The system must be capable of being packed for transport within a footprint of approximately 72 inches by 44 inches, with a desired configuration that reduces this footprint further to about 60 inches by 44 inches.
Assembly time from transport configuration to mission-ready state should not exceed 30 minutes, with a target objective of 15 minutes.
Another design requirement involves integration compatibility with modern communications hardware.
According to the notice, the aircraft must allow unobstructed clearance above the fuselage to enable integration of a Starlink Mini satellite communications terminal.
The Air Force also specified that the aircraft must use the MAVLINK protocol for command, control, and telemetry data exchange. This requirement is intended to ensure interoperability with existing ground control systems and payload components already in use.