Mind the gap please, Mississippi Army National Guard the contract highlights gaps in the Blue/NDAA list. To replace RQ-7’s with Parrot Anafi is not like for like to me.
A requirement for only 6 units also makes me think. According to Google Mississippi is 46,952 sq mi, that’s quite a bit of ground to cover. An order for 600 would not seem unreasonable. The Anafi is a great piece of kit but it can’t fly for 6 hours at 8000′ as the RQ-7 could.
Imagine you’re a startup trying to build drones in the US. You’ve poured your heart and soul into developing a system, hoping to win contracts through the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and the Pentagon’s “Blue” list. But then, you get a call – a state guard wants to buy… six drones. Six!
That’s barely enough to cover the cost of materials for a single production run. You can’t invest in research and development, hire more engineers, or even keep the lights on with such a tiny order. Meanwhile, companies like Parrot, who play in the global market, can sell their drones worldwide. They have economies of scale that American companies simply can’t match when they’re limited to selling primarily within the US. ITAR – the International Traffic in Arms Regulations rules make it incredibly difficult for American drone companies to export their technology. This severely limits their potential market and makes it even harder to compete with international players.
It’s a Catch-22, to survive, American drone companies need larger orders to justify investment. But with limited export options and a domestic market constrained by small, infrequent orders, it’s incredibly difficult to get the traction they need to grow.
I suspect the ANG would like better platforms, but they cost too much. Or there are other plans afoot and these multirotors fit well with them.
The Mississippi Army National Guard (MSARNG) has a requirement for Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) due to divestment of the RQ-7 Shadow. The UAS required by the MSARNG must meet/exceed the parameters on the attached product description.
The USPFO-MS, Jackson, MS intends to issue a contract for the following items:
CLIN 0001: DRONE, ANAFI USA MIL KIT QTY: 6
FOB DESTINATION TO: CAMP SHELBY, MS 39407
Requirements for UAS Purchase
The sUAS requirements to meet the Army intentions are as follows:
Must be considered Short Range Recon
Must be non-weaponized, multirotor UAS under 20lbs
Must be able to provide ISR Support
Must have IR/Thermal capabilities
Must be on the DIU UAS Blue List
Must be NDAA & TAA Compliant
Must have at least a 30-minute endurance with Payload equipped
Must contain Advanced Encryption Standard
Must be Tactical Open Government Architecture (TOGA) Compatible
Must contains extra consumable components
Kit must include a minimum of three (3) smart batteries (3×32 minutes); one (1) controller
with a 8-inch display one; (1) multi-port fast USB charger; one (1) controller charger; one (1)
additional set of propeller blades; three (3) USB-A/USB-C cables; one (1) USB-C/USB-C
cable; one (1) hard case
Must have encrypted radio communication system
Must be IP53 certified (dust and rain resistant)
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