Northrop Grumman's Ryan Aeronautical Center has been picked to supply the US Navy's next tactical vertical take-off and landing unmanned air vehicle. The system will replace AAI/Israel Aircraft Industry Pioneer fixed-wing UAVs.
The Programme Executive Office, Cruise Missiles and UAVs, has awarded Northrop Grumman a $94 million engineering and manufacturing development contract. The cost-plus incentive fee/award contract includes options for three low-rate initial production systems.
Ultimately, the USN will receive 12 UAV systems, while the US Marine Corps will take 11. Initial service entry is planned for the third quarter of 2003. The VTOL UAV will operate from air-capable warships, providing near real-time intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance data gathering.
Northrop Grumman's VTOL UAV is based around a modified Schweizer 333 turbine-powered light helicopter. Losing submissions were Bell's Eagle Eye tiltrotor and the Sikorsky Mariner, a scaled- up, turbine-powered version of the Cypher ducted- rotor UAV.
The Schweizer 333 is a development of the 330SP with an upgraded dynamic system and new rotor blades. Schweizer expects the 333 to be certificated by the US Federal Aviation Administration in April. Other changes for the Rolls-Royce Allison 250-C20-powered UAV include a streamlined fuselage to increase airspeed and additional fuel to meet range requirements.
Working alongside Northrop Grumman are Lockheed Martin Federal Systems (shipboard integration); L-3 Communications (communications); IAI Tamam (the MOSP multi-mission optronic stabilised payload); Sierra Nevada (automated recovery system); and Raytheon (tactical control station).
Source: Flight International
