Austria’s armed forces have ordered six Tracker mini-unmanned air systems from EADS Cassidian subsidiary Survey Copter.
The six hand-launched systems will be evaluated in line with further mini-UAS acquisitions intended for 2016-2017. The order includes 18 of the 3.6m wingspan aircraft, which can operate in a 5nm (10km) range for up to 90min.
Tracker is designed for over-the-hill reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition. The aircraft flies autonomously on a pre-programmed course, to allow its two operators to concentrate on their reconnaissance mission.
The UAS' technical features include visible-light and infrared high-resolution cameras. These are integrated into a three-axis gyro-stabilised plug and play turret – the T120 – specifically developed by Survey Copter. The ground station, consisting of two PCs and control units with joysticks, is coupled to a datalink antenna tracking the aircraft in real-time.
For the Austrian contract, Survey Copter is working with Kapsch Group, a Vienna-headquartered information technology and telecommunications company.
The Tracker is powered by two electric motors.
-Wingspan: 3.6m
-Length: 1.6m
-Maximum altitude: 9,840ft (3,000m)
-Operational height: max 600m
-Maximum speed: 54kt (100km/h)
-Range: 10km
-Endurance: 90min
Source: Flight International
