US Army Trials Long‑Endurance Tethered Drone with EW Pod
A tethered unmanned aircraft system (UAS) by TCOM was field-tested during the U.S. Army’s first armored “Transforming in Contact” (TiC) 2.0 combat training center rotation at the National Training Center (NTC), Fort Irwin, on November 3, 2025.
The deployment, using the Mastodon Beast+ ground system, was part of Rotation 26‑02 and aimed to evaluate emerging technologies and tactical concepts in high-pressure, contested conditions. According to TCOM, the Falcon UAS was integrated into armoured maneouvre operations to provide persistent aerial surveillance, data collection, and communications relay.
As noted by the company,
“Tethered UAS (drones) are designed for demanding environments and payloads up to 30 lbs. With advanced autonomy and simplified controls, our systems are up and running from case to air in just a few minutes.”
The Falcon product line includes multiple UAS variants built for continuous surveillance and modular payload integration. All three models in the line can sustain flight for up to 30 consecutive days and are compatible with tablet, laptop, and IP-network interfaces. The system allows for mobile launch and recovery at vehicle speeds up to 25 mph and includes a backup battery and customized autonomy controls to ensure reliability during operations.
TCOM said the Falcon is engineered for all-weather conditions, including heavy rain and maritime environments. Its payload bay supports a range of sensor types—including electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR), radar, and communications relays—mounted at altitudes of up to 400 feet.
During the NTC trials, the Falcon system was equipped with an additional Mastodon Beast+, a specialized, multi-function electronic warfare (EW) system used by the U.S. military for detection, direction finding, and electronic attack (jamming) of adversary signals.
Source: Defence Blog
