AV unveils JUMP 20-X: revolutionizing autonomous maritime operations with unmatched precision and versatility

AeroVironment (AV), a global leader in intelligent, multi-domain autonomous solutions, today announced the launch of the JUMP 20-X, a next-generation, modular Group 3 uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) designed to meet the dynamic demands of modern warfare. Setting a new benchmark for autonomous maritime operations, the JUMP 20-X delivers unrivaled versatility, efficiency, and precision in contested and complex environments.

Unveiled at the 2025 International Defence Exhibition & Conference (IDEX), the JUMP 20-X is a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) medium uncrewed aircraft system (MUAS) engineered to revolutionize shipboard UAS operations. With an advanced heavy-fuel engine capable of running on multiple fuel types, JUMP 20-X enhances operational flexibility, simplifies refueling logistics, and ensures mission adaptability across diverse maritime and expeditionary environments.

Unmatched Endurance, Multi-Domain Connectivity & Scalable Lethality

Built for long-range, multi-domain operations, JUMP 20-X boasts an impressive 13-hour flight endurance and beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS) connectivity, ensuring persistent surveillance and strike capabilities far beyond the horizon. Its modular 30-pound multi-payload capacity is unmatched in its class, supporting a wide range of mission sets, including:

- ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance)

- Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) & Wide-Area Surveillance (WAS)

- Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) & Electronic Warfare (EW)

- Secure Communications & Video Relay

- Precision Strike Capabilities with customizable lethality options

- Future-Proofed with MOSA: Modular, Open, Systems, Approach

The JUMP 20-X is built on an open-architecture, payload-agnostic, radio-agnostic, and STANAG-compliant framework, ensuring rapid integration with existing military networks and emerging technologies. This future-proof design enables seamless interoperability across joint, allied, and coalition forces, allowing operators to adapt to evolving mission requirements in real time.

AI-Powered Precision & Autonomous Shipboard Operations

Designed for hands-free operation in highly complex environments, JUMP 20-X leverages AI-powered autonomy to ensure precise takeoff and landing—even on fast-moving ships in rough seas or under extreme conditions, day or night.

Additionally, AV’s cutting-edge SPOTR-Edge computer vision technology enables automated object detection and classification, enhancing situational awareness and tactical decision-making in real time. From identifying hostile threats to tracking moving maritime and aerial assets, SPOTR-Edge provides unparalleled intelligence at the tactical edge.

A New Era in Maritime UAS Operations

Shane Hastings, AV’s vice president and general manager of Medium Uncrewed Aircraft Systems, emphasized the transformative impact of JUMP 20-X:

“The JUMP 20-X is more than a UAS—it’s a force multiplier that delivers the unmatched versatility, efficiency, and reliability modern operators’ demand. By combining cutting-edge autonomy, extended endurance, and a modular design, JUMP 20-X redefines what’s possible for maritime and expeditionary UAS operations in the most contested domains.”