Fri, Aug 27, 2010
LMC To Provide Aircraft By Fall 2010
The United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence has awarded a $5.1
million contract to Lockheed Martin for additional Desert Hawk III
unmanned aircraft vehicles.
File Photo
Desert Hawk III's improved payloads maximize target detection
and recognition by providing 360-degree -- daytime and nighttime --
coverage in a common turret package. These latest generation
payloads also include a Lockheed Martin-developed navigation system
that delivers more refined target position information and superior
image stability to the troops.
Awarded by the MoD's Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S)
organization, the latest contract calls for Lockheed Martin to
deliver the Desert Hawk III air vehicles by fall 2010. As a result
of ongoing obsolescence management and technology advancements in
this area, the new aircraft are to feature enhanced 360-degree
infrared and 360-degree, and 10-x zoom electro optics.
"The battle-proven Desert Hawk III can operate in high winds,
extended altitude and extreme temperatures, making it very
effective in areas such as Afghanistan," said Mark Swymeler, a vice
president for Lockheed Martin's Ship and Aviation Systems line of
business. "Unlike some other UAVs, it is extremely quiet and
virtually undetectable beyond 150 meters."
File Photo
Equipped with steerable, plug-and-play imaging payloads, the
Desert Hawk has provided the British Army with greater situational
awareness capabilities in Afghanistan since 2006.
The eight-pound Desert Hawk III features an open architecture
environment and consists of a light weight, hand-launched,
ruggedized air vehicle with snap-on "Plug and Playloads", a
portable ground station and a remote video terminal. The snap-on
payload capability allows a single operator to swap sensors on the
air vehicle in less than one minute to meet immediate and rapidly
changing mission requirements.
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