The U.S. Army’s Small Uncrewed Aircraft Systems

The U.S. Army is acquiring a family of small uncrewed aircraft systems (sUAS) for ground maneuver elements at the battalion level and below to provide real-time reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition (RSTA) capabilities.

For the past two decades, this role was largely filled by the AeroVironment RQ-11 Raven. On February 8, 2024, Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth and General Randy George, Army Chief of Staff, announced Army plans to phase the RQ-11 Raven out of service as part of a broader “rebalance” of the Army’s aviation investments.