RapidFlight, a pioneering company specializing in the design and mass manufacturing of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), has achieved a significant milestone by successfully completing the Technology Readiness Experimentation (T-REX) 2024 demonstration. The event, held at Camp Atterbury in Indiana from August 19-28, served as a platform for showcasing the company’s advanced E2 UAS platform, which was developed under a contract with the Rapid Defense Experimentation Reserve (RDER).
During the T-REX demonstration, RapidFlight conducted multiple successful test flights of the E2, highlighting its remarkable versatility and agility. The platform’s ability to seamlessly integrate various payloads, including the ModalAI VOXL 2 boards and inert prototypes of the MMS Mjölnir weapon system, underscored its potential to support diverse military operations. The E2’s adaptability was further emphasized by the numerous requests for additional flights from senior officials within the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), including the honorable Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, Heidi Shyu, who witnessed the E2’s capabilities firsthand.
The event also saw RapidFlight respond to a live kinetic counter-UAS (C-UAS) assessment flight request, demonstrating its capacity for rapid design and production. The company’s on-site Mobile Production System (MPS) enabled the delivery of a custom component within a remarkable 72 hours, showcasing its ability to provide swift, mission-specific solutions.
The E2 aircraft, built with commercially available components, offers unparalleled utility by combining extensive payload capacity with a high-bandwidth line-of-sight (LOS) communications system. With a payload weight range of 20 to 37.5 lbs and a maximum endurance of three hours, the E2 empowers warfighters to conduct missions extending beyond 140 nautical miles from the launch point.
“RapidFlight is committed to providing the US DoD and its allies with flexible, adaptable UAS platforms that allow the Armed Forces to quickly customize unmanned aircraft around the mission, rather than adapting the mission around the aircraft,” stated Mike Uffelman, Director of Customer Programs at RapidFlight. “The RapidFlight E2 aircraft represents a significant advancement in the development of a low-cost, modular, payload-agnostic UAS that the United States and its allies need for effective deterrence.”
This contract marks the next phase in the evolution of the E2 drone platform, which was previously selected by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD R&E) for further development. The customer-proven Mobile Production System (MPS) enables the manufacturing and deployment of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from forward locations at the tactical edge. A single MPS can produce 28 Group 3 aircraft per month (or even higher quantities for Group 2 and/or Group 1, or when combined with multiple MPS units). The MPS can be owned and operated by RapidFlight or utilized by the U.S. DoD, its allies, and defense contractor primes as an effective means of mass manufacturing UAS anywhere in the world.
RapidFlight, headquartered in Manassas, Virginia, is a design, technology, and manufacturing company capable of producing thousands of customized, low-cost, mission-ready, unmanned systems both centrally and at the tactical edge. The company’s advanced digital design and manufacturing processes, called AgileAviation, and experienced team of industry professionals are setting new standards in aircraft customization and mass manufacturing. RapidFlight effectively addresses the dynamic challenges and stringent timelines critical to national security.
The Rapid Defense Experimentation Reserve (RDER) initiative is a structured, multi-year learning campaign aimed at accelerating the development of new capabilities to create Joint Warfighting Capability. RDER is focused on driving joint innovation, expanding international partnerships and multilateral engagement, focusing on Service joint experimentation, quickly demonstrating and assessing innovative ideas, and providing feedback for future warfighting concept development.
