OVERVIEW: AFARS is an expendable, air-launched unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) developed for tactical reconnaissance and surveillance missions. It is deployed from a MV-22 Osprey and is designed for short-duration observation over contested or denied terrain.

DETAILS: AFARS (Air-Launched Fast Autonomous Reconnaissance System) it is a tube-launched, fixed-wing expendable UAV intended to provide rapid intelligence collection following insertion missions. Developed to enhance situational awareness for U.S. Marine Corps forces, it can be launched from the rear ramp of the MV-22 during flight. AFARS is equipped with a stabilized electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) sensor payload that transmits real-time imagery and video to ground or airborne operators.

TYPE: Expendable Reconnaissance UAV

FUNCTION: AFARS is launched from an aircraft in-flight and autonomously flies a surveillance route using onboard navigation and sensor systems. It is intended for ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance) missions over high-risk or inaccessible areas immediately following air assault operations.

NOTE:
IOC: 2019
Manufacturer: Physical Sciences Inc., United States
Operators: United States
Platforms: MV-22B Osprey

SOURCE:
U.S. Navy SBIR Transition Program: https://navysbir.com/19_1/AFARS.htm ; Defense Innovation Marketplace: https://defenseinnovationmarketplace.dtic.mil/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Navy_AFARS_TTS_2019.pdf ; U.S. Marine Corps Aviation Plan 2019 ; Jane’s Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and Targets