Next-Gen Long-Range Reconnaissance Drone for U.S. Army

The P550 unmanned aerial system (UAS) from AeroVironment is purpose built for long-range reconnaissance missions and features advanced AI and autonomy, maximum payload versatility, and rapid employment capabilities By Joseph Macey / 19 Apr 2024

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Development of Next-Gen Long Range Reconnaissance Drone

AeroVironment has entered into an agreement with Parry Labs to advance the development of the P550 uncrewed aircraft system (UAS).

The partnership will integrate digital engineering, software, and mission system hardware into AV’s upcoming P550, purpose built for the U.S. Army’s Long Range Reconnaissance (LRR) program.

Parry Labs’ team of MOSA leaders and digital systems experts have created a foundational platform using an open and intelligent software stack, SWaP-C optimized hardware, and a digital engineering environment for collaborative build, test and integration.

Designed with MOSA principals from inception, AV’s P550 UAS is perfectly aligned to adopt solutions from trusted partners such as Parry Labs to maximize warfighter capability and mission flexibility.

 “Our customers rely on AV’s market-leading UAS to perform critical missions in challenging and hostile environments, while offering a verified and validated MOSA architecture from both software and hardware standpoints in order to eliminate vendor lock,” said AV’s Vice President of Engineering, Cris Sapera.

“By teaming with Parry Labs, our valued P550 customers can expect a truly open system architecture that will have predefined Major System Components with validated open interfaces for quick, seamless replacement as needed.”

“We are excited to partner with AV to bring the benefits of MOSA to the enterprise,” said Parry Labs Chief Technology Officer, Dave Walsh.

“Using an open systems approach on P550 provides the U.S. Army’s Uncrewed Aircraft Systems and Aviation offices reusable and portable infrastructure and capabilities, giving them the opportunity for fast and secure upgrades across programs and platforms.” 

AV’s MOSA-enabled P550 UAS is purpose built for long range reconnaissance missions and features advanced AI and autonomy, maximum payload versatility, and rapid employment capabilities.

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Posted by Joseph Macey Joseph Macey is a Content Specialist at Defense Advancement, where he has focused on emerging defense technologies since joining in 2022. His expertise spans tactical UAS, rugged computing, and Satellite Communication Systems. After graduating in Journalism from Falmouth University, Joseph began his career in 2019 as a local reporter. His journalism background enhances both his reporting and interview skills, enabling him to provide insightful, authoritative analysis of the latest trends shaping the defense industry. Connect
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