South Africa's Avitronics has unveiled an ultra-lightweight electronic intelligence (ELINT) payload for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). Deliveries to at least one unnamed North African customer will start in November.
Senior Avitronics officials say the payload will be used with an operational UAV system. The order is understood to have been placed in the second half of last year.
The payload is a development of the Avitronics Airborne Emitter Location System. The equipment is claimed to be capable of locating an emitter to within 1í at unspecified distances across the 0.5 to 18GHz bandwidths.
Avitronics officials say co-operation on a further development of the payload is under discussion between the company and the Australian Defence Science and Technology Organisation.
Avitronics managing director Ben Ash says the focus for co-operation would be aimed at the Australian Army's need for an airborne ELINT capability as part of a wide area land force surveillance requirement. Ash says Avitronics also seeks a role in Australia's Project Echidna for a common electronic warfare self-protection system for its military aircraft.
Source: Flight International
