A render of a notional ANCILLARY design. (DARPA)

The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is planning to apply innovation and technology from the commercial electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) sector to a next-generation VTOL unmanned aircraft system (UAS).

DARPA's AdvaNced airCraft Infrastructure-Less Launch And RecoverY (ANCILLARY) X-Plane programme intends to develop and flight-demonstrate critical technologies required for a ‘leap ahead' in low-weight, high-payload, long-endurance VTOL capabilities. The eventual objective is to build a tactical UAS that can operate from ship flight decks and small austere land locations in adverse weather without launch-and-recovery equipment.

Announcing the launch of the ANCILLARY research and development programme, DARPA's Tactical Technology Office said on 7 September that it was planning to tap into the “large non-traditional commercial industry base [which] has fuelled recent VTOL research investments and advanced controls, leading to innovative vehicle configurations spanning size, weight, power, and cost”. “Advancements in small propulsion systems, high-capacity low-weight batteries, fuel cells, materials, electronics, and low-cost additive manufacturing can now enable new architectures and designs to be explored in this trade space,” it added.

A render of a notional ANCILLARY design. (DARPA)

The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is planning to apply innovation and technology from the commercial electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) sector to a next-generation VTOL unmanned aircraft system (UAS).

DARPA's AdvaNced airCraft Infrastructure-Less Launch And RecoverY (ANCILLARY) X-Plane programme intends to develop and flight-demonstrate critical technologies required for a ‘leap ahead' in low-weight, high-payload, long-endurance VTOL capabilities. The eventual objective is to build a tactical UAS that can operate from ship flight decks and small austere land locations in adverse weather without launch-and-recovery equipment.

Announcing the launch of the ANCILLARY research and development programme, DARPA's Tactical Technology Office said on 7 September that it was planning to tap into the “large non-traditional commercial industry base [which] has fuelled recent VTOL research investments and advanced controls, leading to innovative vehicle configurations spanning size, weight, power, and cost”. “Advancements in small propulsion systems, high-capacity low-weight batteries, fuel cells, materials, electronics, and low-cost additive manufacturing can now enable new architectures and designs to be explored in this trade space,” it added.

A render of a notional ANCILLARY design. (DARPA)

The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is planning to apply innovation and technology from the commercial electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) sector to a next-generation VTOL unmanned aircraft system (UAS).

DARPA's AdvaNced airCraft Infrastructure-Less Launch And RecoverY (ANCILLARY) X-Plane programme intends to develop and flight-demonstrate critical technologies required for a ‘leap ahead' in low-weight, high-payload, long-endurance VTOL capabilities. The eventual objective is to build a tactical UAS that can operate from ship flight decks and small austere land locations in adverse weather without launch-and-recovery equipment.

Announcing the launch of the ANCILLARY research and development programme, DARPA's Tactical Technology Office said on 7 September that it was planning to tap into the “large non-traditional commercial industry base [which] has fuelled recent VTOL research investments and advanced controls, leading to innovative vehicle configurations spanning size, weight, power, and cost”. “Advancements in small propulsion systems, high-capacity low-weight batteries, fuel cells, materials, electronics, and low-cost additive manufacturing can now enable new architectures and designs to be explored in this trade space,” it added.

A render of a notional ANCILLARY design. (DARPA)

The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is planning to apply innovation and technology from the commercial electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) sector to a next-generation VTOL unmanned aircraft system (UAS).

DARPA's AdvaNced airCraft Infrastructure-Less Launch And RecoverY (ANCILLARY) X-Plane programme intends to develop and flight-demonstrate critical technologies required for a ‘leap ahead' in low-weight, high-payload, long-endurance VTOL capabilities. The eventual objective is to build a tactical UAS that can operate from ship flight decks and small austere land locations in adverse weather without launch-and-recovery equipment.

Announcing the launch of the ANCILLARY research and development programme, DARPA's Tactical Technology Office said on 7 September that it was planning to tap into the “large non-traditional commercial industry base [which] has fuelled recent VTOL research investments and advanced controls, leading to innovative vehicle configurations spanning size, weight, power, and cost”. “Advancements in small propulsion systems, high-capacity low-weight batteries, fuel cells, materials, electronics, and low-cost additive manufacturing can now enable new architectures and designs to be explored in this trade space,” it added.

A render of a notional ANCILLARY design. (DARPA)

The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is planning to apply innovation and technology from the commercial electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) sector to a next-generation VTOL unmanned aircraft system (UAS).

DARPA's AdvaNced airCraft Infrastructure-Less Launch And RecoverY (ANCILLARY) X-Plane programme intends to develop and flight-demonstrate critical technologies required for a ‘leap ahead' in low-weight, high-payload, long-endurance VTOL capabilities. The eventual objective is to build a tactical UAS that can operate from ship flight decks and small austere land locations in adverse weather without launch-and-recovery equipment.

Announcing the launch of the ANCILLARY research and development programme, DARPA's Tactical Technology Office said on 7 September that it was planning to tap into the “large non-traditional commercial industry base [which] has fuelled recent VTOL research investments and advanced controls, leading to innovative vehicle configurations spanning size, weight, power, and cost”. “Advancements in small propulsion systems, high-capacity low-weight batteries, fuel cells, materials, electronics, and low-cost additive manufacturing can now enable new architectures and designs to be explored in this trade space,” it added.

A render of a notional ANCILLARY design. (DARPA)

The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is planning to apply innovation and technology from the commercial electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) sector to a next-generation VTOL unmanned aircraft system (UAS).

DARPA's AdvaNced airCraft Infrastructure-Less Launch And RecoverY (ANCILLARY) X-Plane programme intends to develop and flight-demonstrate critical technologies required for a ‘leap ahead' in low-weight, high-payload, long-endurance VTOL capabilities. The eventual objective is to build a tactical UAS that can operate from ship flight decks and small austere land locations in adverse weather without launch-and-recovery equipment.

Announcing the launch of the ANCILLARY research and development programme, DARPA's Tactical Technology Office said on 7 September that it was planning to tap into the “large non-traditional commercial industry base [which] has fuelled recent VTOL research investments and advanced controls, leading to innovative vehicle configurations spanning size, weight, power, and cost”. “Advancements in small propulsion systems, high-capacity low-weight batteries, fuel cells, materials, electronics, and low-cost additive manufacturing can now enable new architectures and designs to be explored in this trade space,” it added.