AeroVironment (AV), a major US defence contractor, has revealed details regarding a new autonomous maritime vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) uncrewed aerial system (UAS) known as JUMP 20-X.
The company unveiled the maritime and expeditionary medium-lift UAS for the first time on 17 February 2025 at the International Defence Exhibition and Conference (IDEX 2025) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
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JUMP 20-X conducts a range of tasks in the maritime domain from intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR); electronic warfare; and precision strike. The system can operate over the horizon – up to 185-195 kilometres (115-121 miles) – with a flight time of 14 hours.
This is the same for its predecessor, the JUMP 20, which emerged several years ago. In contrast, the X variant is more flexible: it can operate on multiple different fuel types, meaning it can also run on fuels intended for naval platforms. This simplifies fueling logistics on a surface warship where there is limited storage volume.
This is particularly attractive to navies at a time of limited shipbuilding capacity. This problem has led the UK Royal Navy to reduce the number of ageing surface ships in its fleet while resorting to a permanent forward presence. Conserving resources as essential as fuel will prove useful if the Royal Navy hope to fulfil maintain a global reach.
While there are other drones out there that use different types of fuel, 20-X is the most capable of them – given its larger payload (30 pounds), lift capacity, and size – according to Charles Dean, AV’s vice president for international business, who spoke to Naval Technology at IDEX.
Moreover, 20-X is built on an open-architecture, payload-agnostic, radio-agnostic, and STANAG-compliant framework, ensuring integration with existing military networks and emerging technologies.
JUMP 20 in Ukraine
The original JUMP 20 has accrued 150,000 flying hours.
The system has also proven itself in the fogless battlespace of Ukraine, where the VTOL system is deployed from small clearings. JUMP 20 first entered the conflict as part of a US military assistance package to Ukraine almost exactly a full year into the war.
JUMP 20 is among 4,000 AV products the Ukraine Armed Forces have used against Russian forces and separatists since 2014, according to Dean, who suggested no other company is more involved in the war-torn country.
