| 
The US Navy and US Marine Corps have decided to delay the tactical-level
unmanned aircraft system program for a year, splitting the program
into two separate phases, the first to begin in the first quarter
of fiscal year 2009. Industry teams preparing for the tender,
originally expected in the fall of 2007, will now re-evaluate
their plans to address what seems to be a much larger program,
aiming at the acquisition for thousands of new air vehicles
over the next several years. In addition to US Marine Corps
and US Navy uses, the new program is also expected to address
US Air Force requirements for base protection. (more...) |
| |
| 
The Navy and USMC plan to launch the program in 2008, with a
baseline day/night imaging and target designation capability,
similar to what the Boeing/Insitu
Scan Eagle system is providing today. The Air Force program
will follow by 2010 primarily addressing base security mission.
In addition to standard EO payloads, these aircraft could also
be equipped with acoustic sensors, to spot gunshots and other
threats.
Companies that considered competing for the program include
the Boeing/Insitu team, offering the Scan eagle, Raytheon, offering
the Killer-Bee from Swift Engineering, AAI offering the Australian
Aerosonde and MTC Technologies,
offering the SpyHawk, designed by Arcturus. Northrop Grumman
and Aurora Flight Sciences teamed to offer the Golden Eye 80
ducted-fan UAS and Israel Aerospace
Industries prepared to offer its I-View 50 system with yet
unnamed local partner.
Topics covered in this review:
|
|
|
>