Vector AI eVTOL drone

A battlefield drone that can lift off like a helicopter, cruise like a plane, and flag targets with onboard artificial intelligence is moving into a U.S. Army program. (quantum-systems.com) Quantum-Systems unveiled Vector AI on March 25, 2025, at the AUSA Global Force Symposium in Huntsville, Alabama, then said on April 15, 2026, that the U.S. Army selected it for Company-Level small uncrewed aircraft system Directed Requirement 2. The contract is valued at $15.3 million. (quantum-systems.com 1) (quantum-systems.com 2) The aircraft is an electric vertical take-off and landing system, which means it does not need a runway, then switches to fixed-wing flight for longer trips. Quantum-Systems says the fixed-wing version flies more than 180 minutes and the data link reaches more than 40 kilometers. (quantum-systems.com) The company built Vector AI as a “2-in-1” airframe: one main fuselage can be configured either as a fixed-wing aircraft for mid-range reconnaissance or as a multicopter for shorter, tighter flights. Quantum-Systems says the multicopter version flies about 45 minutes and uses the same controller, data link, sensors, and software workflow. (quantum-systems.com 1) (quantum-systems.com 2) The artificial intelligence piece sits on the drone, not in a distant server. Quantum-Systems says Vector AI carries two NVIDIA Jetson Orin modules for onboard processing, so it can detect, classify, and track objects from camera feeds while reducing dependence on external links. (quantum-systems.com 1) (quantum-systems.com 2) That matters in places where radio links and satellite navigation are unreliable. Quantum-Systems says the system includes anti-jamming protection, automated frequency changes, and a GPS-independent navigation stack using visual-inertial odometry and simultaneous localization and mapping, which let the drone estimate where it is by comparing motion and camera imagery. (quantum-systems.com) (quantum-systems.com) The Army is buying into that package as it tries to field more off-the-shelf drones faster. A Congressional Research Service brief says the service has been under pressure since 2025 to expand small uncrewed aircraft systems across divisions and cut barriers to drone procurement. (congress.gov) Quantum-Systems said Vector AI was chosen after a competition that looked at aircraft performance, payload integration, and interoperability with emerging Army software architectures. The company also said the system can share data with ATAK and other battlefield management software. (quantum-systems.com) (quantum-systems.com) The company is also leaning on combat use as part of its pitch. Quantum-Systems said the earlier Vector platform logged more than 20,000 operational flight hours in Ukraine alone, and that experience fed into the newer model’s autonomy and mission design. (quantum-systems.com) What happens next is less about a single drone than about the Army’s next shopping list. Quantum-Systems said the Directed Requirement 2 effort is meant to deliver systems to Brigade Combat Teams now while informing the Army’s future Medium Range Reconnaissance program. (quantum-systems.com)