Event 38 Unmanned Systems, a leading manufacturer of American-made VTOL fixed-wing drones, is pleased to announce the successful completion of a live operational demonstration in Alaska supporting a U.S. Army training exercise. The demonstration featured the Event 38 E455 drone equipped with the NextVision Raptor payload and integrated Silvus networking hardware onboard the aircraft, enabling resilient, long-range data and video distribution across the tactical network.
During the exercise, Event 38 aligned with the Red Team, responsible for defending a remote stronghold in the wilderness while the Blue Team conducted a parachute insertion from a C130 into an undisclosed area and maneuvered to seize the objective. After the jump was complete and the airspace cleared, Event 38 launched the E455 and began persistent perimeter overwatch around the stronghold.
Within minutes of launching the aircraft, the E455 pilot had eyes on the Blue Team. Live, multicast video with embedded GPS meta data was transmitted via Silvus radios to WinTak devices in the Tactical Operations Center, to soldiers mobile devices at the stronghold, and to mortar fire positions. ATAK received and displayed both the UAS location and the gimbal cross hair target coordinates, accelerating fire mission processing and significantly improving situational awareness across all nodes on the network.
To further extend communications, Event 38 integrated an additional TSM radio inside the aircraft alongside the Silvus radio, increasing range across the Army’s TSM network while maintaining connectivity on the Silvus network.
Operations in Alaska’s cold, and humid environment proved challenging but the E455 operated flawlessly through nightflights, snow, and icing conditions with temperatures down to -4 degrees.
The demonstration in Alaska showcased the E455’s ability to integrate into real-world military operations, supporting mission-critical workflows including call for fire, communications relay, and real time video streaming to handheld units. Equipped with the NextVision payload, the system delivered full-motion video and relayed target coordinates to enhance situational awareness across the operational area.
The NextVision payload provided both EO and thermal imaging, enabling operators to track and observe targets in challenging terrain and low visibility conditions. Throughout the exercise, the E455 maintained stable sensor performance and consistent, reliable data delivery while operating in demanding winter conditions.
Building on these outcomes, Event 38 worked alongside Army personnel to ensure the E455 integrated seamlessly with existing mission tools and infrastructure. A key component of the demonstration was the platform’s ability to support and enhance the Army’s existing TAK ecosystem, enabling effective information sharing and tactical awareness across multiple units. “Operating alongside the Army was an eye-opening demonstration of just how impactful our technology can be on the modern battlefield. Beyond employing the aircraft as an offensive capability, we were able to expose soldiers to the kinds of systems they may face in future conflicts—helping them better prepare for what’s coming,” said VP of Engineering and Operations of Event 38, Mat Wright. “As a smaller company, we often see large-scale demonstrations conducted by organizations like Anduril and Edge Autonomy and know we’re capable of meeting those same challenges. This effort marked a meaningful step in that direction, carried out in one of the most challenging environments in the world.”
The E455’s VTOL capability, modular payload design, long-range communications, and endurance make it ideal for complex environments where rapid deployment and reliable ISR are required. The Alaska demo reinforced the platform’s ability to operate in challenging conditions while delivering tactical data where it matters most.
Source: Event 38
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