AUSA 2025: U.S. Firestorm presents Tempest modular drone with single-case quick launch
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Firestorm’s Tempest is a Group 2/3 modular UAS designed to pack into a single-person hard case and be launched in under 10 minutes, with an open architecture that lets operators swap wings, propulsion modules and mission kits at the point of need. Its mix of 7–9.5 foot wingspan options, 1–6-hour endurance and a 10-pound mission bay makes it a bridge between small quadcopters and larger Group 3 platforms, useful for platoon-level ISR, comms relay and light effects.
According to information gathered by Army Recognition in AUSA 2025 on October 13, 2025, the US Firestorm’s Tempest modular UAS is positioned as a Group 2 / 3 workhorse designed for rapid reconfiguration at the point of need. The aircraft uses a truly open architecture that extends beyond payloads to the airframe, letting units swap propulsion modules, wings and mission kits without returning to depots. The system packs into a single-person hard case and can be launched in under ten minutes, a timeline aimed at distributed operations where setup time is tactical risk. Firestorm underscores a patented quick-connect and disconnect method that simplifies field assembly and repair. The company frames Tempest as a bridge between small quadcopters and larger Group 3 platforms, but with the production speed and cost profile of a commercial design.Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
Firestorm’s Tempest modular UAS, a Group 2/3 drone, features a reconfigurable airframe, swappable propulsion, and quick field assembly. With a 7–9.5 ft wingspan, 10 lb payload, and up to 6 hours endurance, it delivers multi-mission flexibility for reconnaissance, communications, and light strike roles (Picture source: Army Recognition Group).
Tempest’s airframe is sized for practical field handling yet gives operators the reach of a theater-capable platform. Wingspan options from 7 to 9.5 feet and an overall length of about 6.5 feet place it at the upper end of Group 2 and the entry tier of Group 3. Maximum takeoff weight varies between 55 and 75 pounds, depending on configuration. A 10-pound mission payload allowance is reserved for sensors, communications packages or effectors. Baseline cruise performance sits between 65 and 150 miles per hour, with a dash speed of 120 to 200 miles per hour for time-sensitive tasking. Endurance ranges from 1 to 6 hours, and mission radius from roughly 100 to 400 miles, which covers everything from company-level reconnaissance out to brigade deep-area sensing.
Firestorm provides developer tools and documented interfaces so third parties can integrate payloads without rewriting the entire flight stack. Operators can select different propulsion kits to trade acoustic stealth for dash speed, or to bias the platform for extended loiter. Multiple launch and recovery modes are supported to match terrain and risk, including hand or rail launch and recoveries suited for confined sites. The quick-connect architecture is designed to let teams replace a wing, swap a battery bus, or change an electro-optical turret in minutes. That keeps the aircraft on the line during dispersed operations where logistics tails are thin.
The platform is built for the multi-mission reality of modern battlefields. A unit can fly Tempest as an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance collector with stabilized EO/IR sensors in the morning, then re-rig it as a communications relay or electronic support package that afternoon. The 10-pound bay supports compact mapping radars, wide-area motion imagery, and low-power electronic warfare modules. Where authorities and payloads permit, Tempest can also deliver light precision effects or guide third-party fires by streaming target-quality coordinates. The quick launch timeline allows ad hoc tasking by small teams, while the high dash speed enables rapid penetration and egress windows inside layered air defenses.
The concept fits the Pentagon’s drive for attritable, upgradable drones that can be built at scale and adapted as software and sensors evolve. U.S. Army formations are moving toward dispersed, data-centric operations in which every platoon needs organic aerial surveillance and resilient comms paths. In contested theaters like the Indo-Pacific, where runways and fixed sites are at risk, a single-case UAS that can be launched from austere locations offers resilience. Meanwhile, lessons from Ukraine and the Middle East continue to show the value of open architectures that accept new jammers, decoys and seekers without protracted certification cycles. Tempest can be considered as a field-reconfigurable design that U.S. and allied forces are demanding as drone warfare accelerates and budgets favor systems that can be upgraded faster than adversaries adapt.
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Firestorm’s Tempest is a Group 2/3 modular UAS designed to pack into a single-person hard case and be launched in under 10 minutes, with an open architecture that lets operators swap wings, propulsion modules and mission kits at the point of need. Its mix of 7–9.5 foot wingspan options, 1–6-hour endurance and a 10-pound mission bay makes it a bridge between small quadcopters and larger Group 3 platforms, useful for platoon-level ISR, comms relay and light effects.
According to information gathered by Army Recognition in AUSA 2025 on October 13, 2025, the US Firestorm’s Tempest modular UAS is positioned as a Group 2 / 3 workhorse designed for rapid reconfiguration at the point of need. The aircraft uses a truly open architecture that extends beyond payloads to the airframe, letting units swap propulsion modules, wings and mission kits without returning to depots. The system packs into a single-person hard case and can be launched in under ten minutes, a timeline aimed at distributed operations where setup time is tactical risk. Firestorm underscores a patented quick-connect and disconnect method that simplifies field assembly and repair. The company frames Tempest as a bridge between small quadcopters and larger Group 3 platforms, but with the production speed and cost profile of a commercial design.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link
Firestorm’s Tempest modular UAS, a Group 2/3 drone, features a reconfigurable airframe, swappable propulsion, and quick field assembly. With a 7–9.5 ft wingspan, 10 lb payload, and up to 6 hours endurance, it delivers multi-mission flexibility for reconnaissance, communications, and light strike roles (Picture source: Army Recognition Group).
Tempest’s airframe is sized for practical field handling yet gives operators the reach of a theater-capable platform. Wingspan options from 7 to 9.5 feet and an overall length of about 6.5 feet place it at the upper end of Group 2 and the entry tier of Group 3. Maximum takeoff weight varies between 55 and 75 pounds, depending on configuration. A 10-pound mission payload allowance is reserved for sensors, communications packages or effectors. Baseline cruise performance sits between 65 and 150 miles per hour, with a dash speed of 120 to 200 miles per hour for time-sensitive tasking. Endurance ranges from 1 to 6 hours, and mission radius from roughly 100 to 400 miles, which covers everything from company-level reconnaissance out to brigade deep-area sensing.
Firestorm provides developer tools and documented interfaces so third parties can integrate payloads without rewriting the entire flight stack. Operators can select different propulsion kits to trade acoustic stealth for dash speed, or to bias the platform for extended loiter. Multiple launch and recovery modes are supported to match terrain and risk, including hand or rail launch and recoveries suited for confined sites. The quick-connect architecture is designed to let teams replace a wing, swap a battery bus, or change an electro-optical turret in minutes. That keeps the aircraft on the line during dispersed operations where logistics tails are thin.
The platform is built for the multi-mission reality of modern battlefields. A unit can fly Tempest as an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance collector with stabilized EO/IR sensors in the morning, then re-rig it as a communications relay or electronic support package that afternoon. The 10-pound bay supports compact mapping radars, wide-area motion imagery, and low-power electronic warfare modules. Where authorities and payloads permit, Tempest can also deliver light precision effects or guide third-party fires by streaming target-quality coordinates. The quick launch timeline allows ad hoc tasking by small teams, while the high dash speed enables rapid penetration and egress windows inside layered air defenses.
The concept fits the Pentagon’s drive for attritable, upgradable drones that can be built at scale and adapted as software and sensors evolve. U.S. Army formations are moving toward dispersed, data-centric operations in which every platoon needs organic aerial surveillance and resilient comms paths. In contested theaters like the Indo-Pacific, where runways and fixed sites are at risk, a single-case UAS that can be launched from austere locations offers resilience. Meanwhile, lessons from Ukraine and the Middle East continue to show the value of open architectures that accept new jammers, decoys and seekers without protracted certification cycles. Tempest can be considered as a field-reconfigurable design that U.S. and allied forces are demanding as drone warfare accelerates and budgets favor systems that can be upgraded faster than adversaries adapt.
