Tube Launched UAV with Glide to Hover Transition

The LOCUST40mm is a surveillance system that is fired from a standard M320 grenade launcher. It provides unique capabilities not offered by other 40mm-launched systems and fills an important capability gap currently faced by ground troops. In particular, the LOCUST40mm has significant greater range, endurance, and maneuvering flexibility than existing 40mm-launched camera systems. It is capable of gliding unpowered for over 1km from launch, at which point a contra-rotating motor/propeller system allows the vehicle to perform both a true hover with the vehicle oriented vertically, and forward flight with the vehicle oriented horizontally like a conventional airplane. Hovering facilitates maintaining a fixed sensor view of a stationary target and maneuvering in confined space such as inside building, while forward flight facilitates tracking of moving targets. Optical cameras will be the first sensors integrated with the system, but a modular payload bay will allow a wide variety of sensors to be used. The Phase II program will develop the complete guidance and control system for the LOCUST40mm vehicle, develop a 40mm round integrating the vehicle as its payload, and conduct extensive tests of both aerodynamic performance of the vehicle and launch survivability of the design.