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Jump 20
AeroVironment
Not yet assessed
- Height
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- Verified autonomy
- not assessed
- Real deployment
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Jump 20
AeroVironmentThe AeroVironment JUMP 20 is a Group 3 VTOL fixed-wing UAS originally developed by Arcturus UAV (acquired by AeroVironment in 2021 for $405M) and designed for persistent multi-sensor ISR missions. It features a hybrid propulsion system (gasoline engine for cruise, battery-electric rotors for VTOL), 13+ hours endurance, 185 km range, and a 30 lb payload capacity, enabling runway-independent deployment in under 30 minutes on land or at sea. The system has accumulated over 300,000 operational flight hours and is deployed with U.S. and allied militaries across 55+ countries, with major contracts including an $8M U.S. Army order and a $181M Danish defence contract. It operates autonomously via GPS-based autopilot with operator oversight via datalink, consistent with a supervised-autonomous classification. The three community-sourced 'criticism' facts appear to be about the AI agents software space generally and are not directly applicable to the JUMP 20 hardware system.
Availability
Specification
- range
- 185 km
- payload_capacity
- 30 lb (13.6 kg); supports EO/MWIR sensors with onboard tracking, stabilization, and video processing
- dimensions_and_weight
- Wingspan 5.7 m (18.8 ft), length 2.9 m (9.5 ft), max weight 97.5 kg (215 lb)
Price
No public price — contact the supplier for a quote.
Good · Bad · Ugly
Evidence-graded claims from the AeroVironment deep report
LOCUST demonstrated automated safety shut-off validated for domestic U.S. airspace at White Sands with JIATF-401 and the FAA
A BusinessWire press release [13] — citing a joint demonstration with JIATF-401 (a U.S. government joint task force) and the FAA — independently corroborates that the safety shut-off capability was demonstrated in a government-supervised test; however, full operational certification and combat-readiness remain unconfirmed.
from AeroVironment deep report →AeroVironment won a $117.3M U.S. Army contract to deliver 82 P550 reconnaissance drones within approximately 2 months
Both an independent regional news outlet (al.com [11]) and a defense news site (TheDefenseWatch [14]) report the contract award and delivery timeline, corroborating the vendor announcement; the compressed 2-month delivery schedule is notable but not yet independently verified as completed.
from AeroVironment deep report →
LOCUST directed-energy system engages drone targets in 5–7 seconds at a cost of under $5–$10 per engagement
Both the engagement time and cost figures originate from vendor-adjacent or vendor-produced content (video summaries and a CEO conference statement [15][27]); no independent test report or government evaluation corroborates these specific performance or cost metrics, and the $5 vs. $10 discrepancy itself signals unverified sourcing.
from AeroVironment deep report →AeroVironment's systems have achieved 50,000+ deployments across 55+ countries
This figure appears only on AV's official homepage [1] with no independent audit, government procurement database, or third-party verification cited in the dossier; the number is plausible given the company's history but remains a self-reported marketing statistic.
from AeroVironment deep report →VAPOR CLE VTOL UAS achieves case-to-flight in approximately 2 minutes and is Arctic and maritime capable
The 2-minute setup time and environmental capability claims derive solely from AV's own press release [12]; the $14.6M U.S. Army production contract confirms procurement interest but no independent operational test or field report verifies the specific performance claims.
from AeroVironment deep report →
Switchblade loitering munitions are reliable and more capable than quadcopters, proven across 50,000+ deployments
Community defense forums (Reddit [34]) independently report lingering munition reliability issues and bomb-attachment reliability problems on aircraft pylons; the vendor's deployment count does not address failure rates, and no independent reliability assessment is cited in the dossier.
from AeroVironment deep report →
About the company
Editorial directory of real robot products from leading global manufacturers. Each entry links to the manufacturer's official page.
