Israel-based ITL Optronics says it has secured an initial sale of its Lightener hand-launched mini-UAV to a South-East Asian defence force. The deal comprises one system of three UAVs with options for another five to eight systems depending on the outcome of operational evaluations.
The order was locked down in late 2006, according to company officials attending the DSEi exhibition in London.
The company also says that demonstrator Lightener system were used operationally during last year's war in southern Lebanon. An undisclosed number of systems were loaned by the company to the Israeli army to meet urgent operational requirements during that conflict.
ITL is currently offering Lightener for the Israel's Ground Forces Command's estimated 100 million shekel ($23.9 million) Skyrider requirement for a close-range surveillance and reconnaissance system. That competition follows three years of operational concepts development using a number of Elbit Skylark 1 systems.
Lightener development began almost four years ago as a private venture by a small Israeli firm which was in turn bought by ITL Optronics 18 months ago.
The electric UAV has an endurance of three hours. The airframe uses a unique offset fuselage and combined sensor and propulsion module, with the large battery pack located in the forward lower airframe to stabilise the UAV.
ITL says the UAV development effort has paralleled that for its Advanced Integrated Soldier System (AISS). AISS fully integrates the UAV and its ground-control system into the soldier's own personal area network and links directly to the individual micro-tactical computer (MTC), personal combat net radio, GPS navigation system and sensor systems such as those mounted on the individual combat weapon.
The remote viewing terminal for the Lightener sensor system is a lightweight monocular hand-held device (HHD) which can also be used to display data from a rifle-mounted night sight, infra-red sensors or to interrogate MTC data. The HDD, development of which began three years ago, incorporates four functional control buttons and a joystick that can vector the UAV.
The HDD field of view is also synched to the UAV sensor turret, meaning physical repositioning of the HDD unit cues sensor turret movement, reducing the physiological disorientation effects of sensor imagery shifts.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
