US Army chooses between Golden Eagle MK2, Swift and Skydio R47 drones to replace Skydio RQ-28A

The US Army recently received the Skydio RQ-28A drones. However, they are already looking for a replacement. Skydio is also involved in the project.

Here's What We Know

The US military has conducted another round of tests on the drone, which will be adopted into service in a few years' time. The quadcopter tests took place in the state of Georgia. Vantage Robotics, Skydio and Teal Drones unveiled the Swift, R47 and Golden Eagle MK2 prototypes, respectively.

Other companies also showed prototypes, but in the end the military chose only the three firms we wrote about above. By the way, the US Army received applications from a total of 33 companies, of which 23 were screened out at once.

The drone trials were led by the US Army Command and representatives of the Combat Manoeuvre Laboratory. The drones demonstrated their effectiveness at night, their ability to evade obstacles and their operating time without recharging.

The Skydio RQ-28A is equipped with a 12MP camera with a 16x zoom. The quadcopter can fly for 30 minutes. It has a maximum flight range of 6 km and a payload of 1.5 kg. Detailed specs on the Swift, R47 and Golden Eagle MK2 are not available, but the new drones should outperform the RQ-28A in terms of uptime, controllability and obstacle evasion.

The RQ-28A began entering service in December 2022. Skydio will deliver 480 drones to the US Army during the current year. Meanwhile, the military has to decide on a replacement for the quadcopter by 2026.

Source: US Army