AV Showcases JUMP 20’s Advanced Maritime Capabilities at NATO REPMUS Demonstration

AeroVironment (AV) successfully demonstrated the maritime capabilities of its combat-proven JUMP® 20 uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) during the NATO REPMUS 2024 exercise (Robotic Experimentation and Prototyping using Maritime Uncrewed Systems) off the coast of Portugal. This impressive showcase highlighted JUMP 20’s advanced Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) abilities, including autonomous takeoff and landing on a moving vessel in challenging conditions with sea state level 5 and winds exceeding 20 knots.

The JUMP 20 also underscored its mission versatility, performing wide-area search and detection tasks with ease. Its advanced Electro Optical and Mid-Wave Infrared (MWIR) turret automatically adjusted to investigate detected targets without needing to reposition the aircraft, ensuring continuous operational focus. Full-motion video was captured and analyzed later using AV’s advanced computer vision tool, SPOTR-Edge™, which utilized its extensive library of object classifications to detect people, vehicles, and maritime vessels. Video from this event will further enhance the JUMP 20's capabilities by refining its object recognition and situational response features for future deployments.

REPMUS is an annual exercise that brings together NATO allies, EU organizations, industry leaders, and academic partners to advance uncrewed maritime systems in real-world environments.

“We were proud to participate in this year’s REPMUS exercise, where we demonstrated JUMP 20’s maritime capabilities in action,” said Shane Hastings, AV’s vice president and general manager of Medium UAS. “The JUMP 20’s ability to autonomously land with precision in rough sea conditions – without needing launch or recovery equipment – highlights the system’s exceptional flexibility. By enabling fully autonomous operations, we enhance safety and efficiency from takeoff to landing.”

AV’s successful demonstration at REPMUS 2024 reaffirms its commitment to advancing UAS technology for naval warfare. The JUMP 20’s proven capability to perform complex shipboard operations with minimal human intervention sets a new standard for maritime UAS operations, enhancing operational superiority at sea.