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The Department of Defense updated its Modular Payload Design Standard, marking a significant evolution in the way electronic warfare, signals intelligence and communications payloads are conceived, integrated and sustained across unmanned and dismounted platforms.

Originally conceived under U.S. Special Operations Command to bring modularity to unmanned aerial systems (UAS), the standard — also known as Mod Payload — was developed by a government and industry team led by the ����ֱ�� Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland. The standard’s reach has steadily expanded and been implemented by a range of small unmanned vehicles and dozens of payloads across the military.

The Mod Payload standard defines requirements to achieve true plug-and-play interoperability between systems. By outlining a uniform architecture for both payloads and host platforms, the standard drives down development costs, slashes integration timelines and enhances maintainability in austere environments — all while improving system reliability and reducing total life-cycle expense.

“Unmanned and autonomous systems play an increasingly critical role in modern warfare, and as these systems grow ever more sophisticated, maintaining seamless interoperability for our forces is paramount,” said APL Assistant Director for Programs Lisa Blodgett. “The Mod Payload standard not only streamlines interoperability but also enables rapid fielding of industry innovations to maintain the lead in this dynamic and contested domain.”

The latest update, revision 6.1, expands Mod Payload to additional platform types — unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) and dismounts. It has also been approved for unlimited public release, which streamlines access for industry and allied partners, and fosters broader adoption and accelerating innovation across the defense community.

Shield AI, a defense technology firm and the platform integrator for the vertical takeoff and landing UAS that has been deployed on nearly every class of Navy ship and all seven Marine Expeditionary Units, cited Mod Payload as a critical factor in the platform’s success.

“The Mod Payload standard has been highly valuable to our integration efforts,” said Andrew Nguyen, who manages the V-BAT program at Shield AI, adding that this partnership has been critical in accelerating the development and testing of V-BAT capabilities. “It enables us to streamline payload integration for systems that conform to the spec — particularly electronic warfare payloads — and provides a clear framework we can ask other vendors to follow when flexibility allows.”

“Through close collaboration, we’ve had the opportunity to integrate and validate government-sponsored payloads in a realistic environment to ensure compatibility and performance,” he added. “APL has also been an invaluable partner in exploring and testing high-risk, high-reward autonomy and GNSS-denied concepts, helping both Shield AI and the U.S. government advance their operational goals.”

Garrett Nackerman, product line manager for the Jump 20 vertical takeoff and landing UAS developed by AeroVironment, Inc., said the Mod Payload standard allows operators to quickly adapt the UAS to a wide array of mission profiles without requiring extensive reconfiguration or downtime.

“The modular approach also fosters innovation, as new technologies and payloads can be easily integrated into existing platforms, extending their service life and operational applicability,” Nackerman said. “Overall, adopting the Mod Payload standard equips the Jump 20 with increased adaptability, operational readiness and a future-proof architecture that can evolve alongside emerging mission requirements.”