SHELLE 20 Swift Heavy Lift Long Endurance 20lb UAV

Military UAS platforms are crucial for conducting ISR and providing real-time offensive and defensive information. However, smaller electric systems that can be carried in the field suffer from poor endurance and low payload weights. As endurance requirements increase, battery and airframe weight grow exponentially to extend range capabilities. This results in a downward spiral of weight increases as endurance or range are extended that has strictly limited the capabilities of such aircraft to retain man-portability. Swift Engineering, Inc. proposes to simultaneously apply cutting edge airframe design, new battery technology, novel launch and recovery methods, and ultra-lightweight construction techniques, integrated with the best of existing solutions, in a six-month trade study to evaluate, and create a new class of sUAS. Swift has over 15+ years of UAV design experience that will be leveraged to perform trade studies, detailed aerodynamic and structural design, and analysis. Some preliminary evaluations have been performed, allowing Swift to efficiently down select based upon a ranking system. The UAV outlined in this solicitation would result in a new class of drone that outperforms any current man-portable UAV. This configuration would not only provide USSOCOM with an essential platform, but a new mindset in UAV design.