Avionics maker Rockwell Collins reveals that it has won a broad system-level contract on the US Air Force’s $86 million Blue Devil Block 2 airship programme, the company’s first “nose to tail” command and control win in the unmanned aircraft systems sector.
Under contract to prime contractor MAV6, Rockwell Collins will provide the vehicle, flight and ground control systems for the Blue Devil, said Dave Vos, senior director of Rockwell Collins Control Technologies and Unmanned Aircraft Systems.
The US Air Force intends to deploy the 335ft-long multi-intelligence payload airship to Afghanistan in January to test persistent surveillance from a lighter-than-air platform. The win brings to 25 the number of unmanned or optionally manned platforms carrying Rockwell Collins guidance and control technologies.
Source: Flight Global