AeroVironment (AV) has partnered with Arkeus to integrate the Hyperspectral Optical Radar (HSOR) payload into the JUMP 20 uncrewed autonomous system (UAS).
The integration of AV’s drone with Arkeus’ HSOR aims to enhance autonomous surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities in low-visibility or congested environments.
It also supports long-range operations, improves situational awareness, and allows flexible payload use even under limited electromagnetic conditions.
HSOR is powered by an AI-driven data engine to detect, classify, locate, and track hundreds of objects at once.
It operates across land, sea, and coastal areas without requiring recalibration or hardware changes.
According to AV, HSOR provides more than eight times the range of conventional optical and infrared sensors.
Using hyperspectral imaging, the system analyzes the “light patterns” of different materials, providing data on water depth, plant density, and other environmental factors.
These capabilities support wide-area surveillance, maritime monitoring, search and rescue operations, counter-narcotics efforts, and border security operations.
“The JUMP 20 is the first and only uncrewed platform to integrate Arkeus HSOR, which itself is the first real-time, wide-area scan, hyperspectral sensor,” said Trace Stevenson, President of Autonomous Systems for AV.
JUMP 20
The JUMP 20 is a fixed-wing drone with vertical takeoff and landing capabilities.
With a flight endurance of over 13 hours, the UAS has an operational range of about 100 nautical miles (115 miles/185 kilometers) within line of sight, meaning the operator can maintain direct communication with the drone.
It can exceed 500 nautical miles (575 miles/926 kilometers) in beyond-line-of-sight operations, where control is maintained via satellite or relay.
The payload bay can carry up to 30 pounds (14 kilograms), and the system uses a standard autopilot and ground control setup, allowing operators to customize the platform for different mission needs.
Setup and launch can be completed in under 30 minutes without specialized equipment.
In April, Italy signed a $46.6-million deal with AV for the delivery of the JUMP 20 system to replace its aging fleet of AAI RQ-7 Shadow drones.
Earlier this year, AV unveiled the JUMP 20-X, a “marinized” variant equipped with AI for autonomous maritime operations and cross-domain situational awareness.
