Target Arm Lands $2M Army Contract for Arsenal-Modular Mission Payload

Target Arm has been awarded a $2.04 million Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract for development of an Arsenal-Modular Mission Payload (A-MMP), designed to increase the capabilities of the U.S. Army’s operational platforms and vehicles. 

The contract falls under the U.S. Army’s Open Topic for Persistent Experimentation (Direct to Phase II). Manned or unmanned, the A-MMP solution aims to integrate with any Army vehicle or platform while also supporting a range of rotary and fixed-wing small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS). These systems aim to include Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) assets, Loitering Munitions (LM), and armed sUAS.

It is notable that the A-MMP is designed to operate autonomously while vehicles are in motion at speeds from zero to 65+ mph, providing mission adaptability and flexibility.

Key advantages of the A-MMP for military operations include:

• Launch and recover sUAS while the vehicle remains in motion which will preserve mobility and reduce risk in dynamic environments.
• No pilots needed
• AI enhanced systems to minimize human intervention
• Swarm capability on-the-move – allowing for seamlessly deploying and recovering multiple drones

These features enable advanced swarm tactics for reconnaissance, surveillance, and lethality operations.

This projects’ R&D efforts will focus on the integration and development of the Feeder Mechanism and UAV Magazine designs, both of which are critical components for enabling reliable, seamless deployment and recovery of multiple sUAS during operations. These innovations will enable secure storage, efficient reloading, and rapid deployment of payloads to match the demands of both rotary and fixed-wing aircraft, making sure operational efficiency on the battlefield is maximised.

Jeff McChesney, CEO of Target Arm Inc, commented, “This contract is an exciting opportunity for Target Arm to adapt our commercial technology to a critical area of research and development for the U.S. Army,

“The A-MMP not only delivers unmatched operational flexibility by supporting both rotary and fixed-wing aircraft on-the-move but also fully integrates with our advanced, AI-enhanced software products—TRACKR, TurboFly, and Maestro. These platforms are designed to work seamlessly with A-MMP, offering real-time mission planning, advanced autonomy, and swarm capabilities. TRACKR provides a sensor fusion engine for precision localization, TurboFly enables autonomous flight control, and Maestro ensures synchronized operations across multiple A-MMP and  UAS assets. Together, they empower operators with unparalleled capability to adapt to complex and rapidly changing operational environments.”

Compatibility with a wide variety of vehicles and platforms, makes the A-MMP a Platform Agnostic system, while it also supports ISR, LM operations, and armed sUAS. Other key features include on-the-move functionality, enhanced system design that ensure efficient reloading and deployment of sUAS, and AI-Enhanced integration that leverages TRACKR, Maestro, and TurboFly for superior mission execution.