Textron Systems unveils NIGHTWARDEN Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System

Advertisement

At the 2017 Paris Air Show, Textron Systems Unmanned Systems introduced its NIGHTWARDEN Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System (TUAS), which has a maximum speed of up to 90 knots, an endurance of up to 15 hours and a payload capacity of up to 130 pounds.

With more than 400 hours of flight time under its belt for potential customers, including delegations from the Mideast, the Asia-Pacific region, and from Europe, the NIGHTWARDEN TUAS has undergone thorough internal testing and demonstration efforts.  

The NIGHTWARDEN TUAS builds upon the lineage of TUAS that Textron Systems has developed, and according to the company, the NIGHTWARDEN is the “new next-generation platform, representing the production-ready model of the developmental Shadow® M2.” 

“Since first announcing the Shadow M2, we’ve made significant improvements and enhancements to the system – so much in fact, that there are many differences between the two platforms,” says Bill Irby, Unmanned Systems Senior Vice President & General Manager.

“For example, compared to our internal development model, the NIGHTWARDEN TUAS offers greater flexibility and combat capability, beyond-line-of-sight satellite communications (SATCOM) features, as well as enhanced command-and-control through Synturian™, Textron Systems’ new family of multi-domain control and collaboration technologies.” 

By providing an optional SATCOM package, the NIGHTWARDEN TUAS has a capability common to bigger Group IV Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) platforms.

The system also has significant operational flexibility, thanks to having a range of up to 1100 kilometers, and a “fly-from-home-or-hub” station capability.

Thanks to its open architecture and dual-payload bay, additional capabilities for the system include sense-and-avoid equipment, communication relay, or additional payloads such as electronic attack, communications intelligence or signals intelligence.

The Textron Systems Weapon & Sensor Systems precision guided glide munition, Fury, can also be installed, since further intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) payload capacity and strike capabilities can be installed.

The NIGHTWARDEN TUAS typically uses an automated take-off and landing system, but it also “incorporates enhanced landing gear, remote taxi and an air vehicle parachute for emergency operations." By landing on unimproved surfaces, the NIGHTWARDEN TUAS has also demonstrated runway-independence.