Lockheed Martin Procerus Technologies’ has announced a new small vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) unmanned aircraft system which can be deployed in just minutes.
The rugged, five-pound VTOL quad rotor, dual-sensor platform features an extended hover, perch and stare capability that provides military, civil and commercial customers with aerial reconnaissance in crowded areas unreachable by fixed-wing unmanned aircraft systems. The VTOL’s gimbal mount includes electro-optical and infrared sensors and a laser illuminator to provide continuous 360-degree panning capability.
“We are leveraging years of experience in building small, innovative avionics and payload technologies to develop an affordable and efficient VTOL solution,” said Todd Titensor, senior manager of Lockheed Martin Procerus Technologies. “Our system is quiet, can operate day or night in challenging weather conditions and has longer operating time than other VTOL platforms.”
Equipped with the Lockheed Martin Procerus Technologies’ proven Kestrel 3 autopilot, the compact, lightweight VTOL can be deployed in minutes and operate for up to 40 minutes. The collapsible VTOL platform folds into a man-packable unit that requires no tools for assembly.
The VTOL system includes a wireless hand controller, which provides an easy-to-use interface for intuitive, untethered vehicle operation. For full ground control station capabilities, the Virtual Cockpit v3.0 features a user-friendly 3-D map interface, powerful mission planning tools, in-flight re-tasking and full waypoint navigation.
The VTOL also can land and gather surveillance data from a remote location and then take off and return home.
Acquired in January 2012, Lockheed Martin Procerus Technologies is the developer of the Kestrel Autopilot avionics and Virtual Cockpit system for fixed-wing and rotary aircraft. Additional products include small vertical take-off and landing platforms and OnPoint OnBoard vision systems for target tracking, stabilization, geo-location and terminal guidance applications.
Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs about 120,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation’s net sales for 2011 were $46.5 billion.
Source: Press Release