DoD accepts two more joint tactical "Hunter" UAV Systems.SIERRA VISTA, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 20, 1995--The Department of Defense accepted the second and third Hunter systems for the Joint Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle A powered, aerial vehicle that does not carry a human operator, uses aerodynamic forces to provide vehicle lift, can fly autonomously or be piloted remotely, can be expendable or recoverable, and can carry a lethal or nonlethal payload. (JT-UAV JT-UAV Joint Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle ) program on June 15. The team of prime contractor TRW TRW The Real World (TV reality show) TRW The Right Way TRW Tactical Reconnaissance Wing TRW The Retriever Weekly (University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD) TRW Thompson Ramo Wooldridge Inc Inc. and major subcontractor Israel Aircraft Industries Ltd. (IAI IAI Infection And Immunity (journal) IAI International Alliance for Interoperability IAI Institut für Angewandte Informatik IAI Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research IAI International Association for Identification ) produced the systems under a $169 million low-rate initial production contract. In addition to the hardware, the contractor team provides training and support. System Three acceptance tests were completed in four days, indicating a continuing maturity of the system. System Three will be transferred to the JT-UAV Test Division for environmental and electromagnetic testing at White Sands Missile Range White Sands Missile Range (WSMR), formerly known as the White Sands Proving Grounds, is a rocket range in New Mexico operated by the United States Army. The range covers an area of almost 3,200 mi² (8 287 km²), approximately three times the size of Rhode Island, making it in New Mexico and Yuma Proving Grounds in Arizona. Following testing, planned upgrades will be incorporated and the system will be handed off to the U.S. Navy for the shipboard requirement. System Two will be transferred to the U.S. Army's C Company, 304 Military Intelligence Battalion at Fort Huachuca, Ariz. System One, accepted on April 14, was transferred back to the contractor to complete requisite training. Final air vehicle operational training of the battalion's Company D soldiers on the delivered system began May 1 at Rugge-Hamilton Army Airfield at Fort Huachuca. During that training, soldiers set a UAV UAV Unmanned Aerial Vehicle UAV Unmanned Air Vehicle UAV Unmanned Aerospace Vehicle UAV Unmanned Airborne Vehicle UAV Uninhabited Air Vehicle UAV Urban Assault Vehicle UAV Unpiloted Aerial Vehicle (less common) record on June 9 by flying the Hunter air vehicle through 64 touch-and-go landings in one day. "Soldiers are successfully flying the system -- meeting the requirements for a system deployed forward for battlefield observation and targeting whenever and wherever needed," said Robert Mason, vice president for UAV Systems, TRW Avionics & Surveillance Group. In the first six months of 1995, through June 15, Hunter air vehicles have made 213 flights totaling 568.2 hours. Altogether since 1990, Hunter air vehicles have logged 3,242.4 hours of flying. The remaining four systems will be delivered incrementally on schedule by September. Each system contains eight air vehicles, ground control stations and mission planning and support equipment. A joint service U.S. Army, Marine Corps, and Navy system, the Hunter Joint Tactical UAV is the cornerstone tactical UAV for providing reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition For the RSTA/ISTAR/STA doctrine, see . For Artillery STA, see . For the USMC snipers, see . support to all war fighting commanders. Currently carrying daylight television and forward-looking infrared (FLIR FLIR Forward-Looking Infrared (Radar) FLIR Forward Looking Infrared Radiometer FLIR Forward Looking Infrared Radar FLIR Forward Looking Infra Red ) sensors, Hunter flies missions of more than eight hours in duration, out to 150 kilometers beyond the forward line of troops, day or night, and does so in limited adverse weather conditions. The Joint Tactical UAV Project Office in Huntsville, Ala., has government management responsibility and reports to the Program Executive Officer, Cruise Missiles and Joint Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
CONTACT: TRW Inc. Lynn Fisher, 408/743-6271 or Israel Aircraft Industries Marvin Klemow, 703/875-3723 or JPO Ray Coleman, 703/604-0767 ext. 5348 |
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