Trillium HD40 LVV Joins Army P550 ISR Fleet

The U.S. Army’s decision to pair Trillium Engineering’s HD40 LVV imaging payload with AeroVironment’s P550 uncrewed aircraft system offers a clear look at how future reconnaissance missions are being shaped, as Unmanned Systems Technology reported.

This is not a case of simply mounting a capable camera onto a capable drone. It is a deliberate alignment of sensor performance, endurance, autonomy, and battlefield flexibility, all aimed at expanding how intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance are conducted in contested environments.

Backed by a $13.2 million contract award to AeroVironment, the P550 will carry the HD40 LVV as its primary ISR payload during upcoming Army testing and evaluation. Together, the platform and sensor represent a growing emphasis on Group 2 uncrewed systems that can fly longer, see farther, and adapt faster than earlier generations.

Why the P550 Fits the Army’s ISR Vision

The P550 is an autonomous Group 2 electric vertical takeoff and landing UAS designed for rapid deployment and continuous adaptation.

Its defining feature is flexibility. The aircraft can be reconfigured in the field in under five minutes, allowing operators to hot swap payloads and batteries without tools. In a battlefield environment where missions change quickly, that ability can matter as much as raw performance.

With a multi sensor payload capacity of up to 15 pounds, the P550 comfortably carries advanced ISR systems like the HD40 LVV while preserving endurance.

AeroVironment states the aircraft can reach up to five hours of all battery flight time, placing it at the upper end of endurance for its class. This allows maneuver forces to maintain persistent eyes on an area without cycling multiple aircraft through the same airspace.

The platform is built around a Modular Open Systems Approach, enabling integration with third party payloads, datalinks, and mission planning software. This matters for the Army, which increasingly wants systems that can evolve through software and modular hardware rather than costly redesigns.

The P550’s AI driven autonomy further supports safer operations by reducing operator workload and enabling smarter flight behaviors in complex environments.

When paired with the HD40 LVV, the aircraft shifts from being simply adaptable to being decisively informative.

The HD40 LVV as a Force Multiplier

Trillium Engineering’s HD40 LVV is designed around strict size, weight, power, and cost constraints, yet it delivers capabilities typically associated with larger payloads.

At just 750 grams, the gimbal integrates a full high definition visible camera and a long wave infrared sensor, allowing day and night operations from the same package.

The visible sensor outputs 1920 by 1080 resolution imagery with an effective zoom reaching up to 180 times, while the LWIR camera delivers 1280 by 1024 resolution with up to 4 times zoom. Combined with a 360 degree continuous pan and precise tilt control, the payload supports long range target identification and sustained observation.

Power efficiency plays a key role in why this payload works so well on the P550. Average consumption sits around 15 watts, preserving the aircraft’s endurance profile, while peak demand remains manageable during high activity phases.

Onboard h.264 and h.265 compression, MISB compliant metadata, and electronic stabilization ensure that the imagery reaching commanders is both usable and actionable.

Tracking and geolocation capabilities further enhance the ISR value. Scene tracking, target tracking, and geo tracking are handled onboard, supported by a co located IMU and real time geopointing.

With typical system accuracy around 1.5 degrees, the payload provides reliable coordinates that can support targeting, cueing other assets, or feeding intelligence into broader command systems.

What This Pairing Signals for Future Operations

The Army’s move to integrate the HD40 LVV onto the P550 reflects a broader doctrinal shift. Smaller, autonomous aircraft are being tasked with missions once reserved for much larger platforms. Instead of relying on a few high value assets, the Army is building a distributed reconnaissance network that can persist, adapt, and survive in contested airspace.

The P550’s ability to operate for hours, reconfigure rapidly, and integrate seamlessly with evolving software architectures makes it an ideal host for lightweight but powerful sensors. The HD40 LVV complements this by delivering high confidence ISR without imposing a heavy penalty on endurance or handling.

As these systems enter testing and evaluation, the focus will likely move beyond basic performance metrics.

How quickly can units adapt payloads to new mission profiles. How reliably can imagery be shared across distributed forces. How well do autonomy and onboard processing reduce operator workload under stress. The answers to these questions will shape how Group 2 UAS are fielded in the years ahead.

DroneXL’s Take

The pairing of the HD40 LVV with the P550 feels less like a one off procurement and more like a blueprint. Lightweight, power efficient sensors combined with long endurance, autonomous platforms are becoming the backbone of modern military ISR.

The Army is clearly betting that adaptability and persistence will outweigh brute force solutions, and this combination supports that bet. If testing confirms the promised performance, expect similar sensor platform pairings to define how tactical reconnaissance is done across future battlefields.

Photo credit: Trillium Engineering, AeroVironment.