Certified Cobra Fleet Now Numbers Five

The Federal Aviation Administration awarded Experimental Airworthiness Certificates to three of Raytheon Company's Cobra Unmanned Aircraft Systems this week, bringing the certified Cobra fleet total to five.

The Cobra is described as a low-cost, highly reliable unmanned system that is designed to test unmanned systems technologies. It has a wingspan of 10 feet and is 9-feet long.

The triple EACs clear the way for Raytheon to continue current operations in a specified section of the National Airspace in Southeastern Arizona and remain in compliance with a recently published FAA policy on unmanned aircraft operations in the National Airspace System.

Raytheon is also authorized to conduct research and development, crew training and market surveys using the Cobra system, according to Plano's Inside Collin County Business.

The Cobra Unmanned Aircraft System is a compilation of capabilities from several Raytheon businesses, including Missile Systems in Tuscon; Intelligence and Information Systems (IIS) in Garland, TX; Space and Airborne Systems in El Segundo, CA; and McKinney, TX-based Network Centric Systems.

Raytheon Company employs more than 80,000 people worldwide and is headquartered in Waltham, Mass. The defense and aerospace systems supplier saw 2006 sales topping $20.3 billion.

FMI: www.raytheon.com