By Peter La Franchi in London
Poland is seeking the acquisition of two AAI RQ-7B Shadow 200 unmanned air vehicle (UAV) systems under a proposed $73 million foreign military sales deal notified to the US Congress 27 July.
The two system purchase would include ten air vehicles, eight with electro optic payloads and two as spares, four ground control stations, two portable ground data terminals, two catapult launchers, communications equipment and 14 M1152 unarmoured AM General High Mobility Multi-purpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWV).
The US Defence Security Cooperation Agency says that Poland intends to use the ready to deploy systems “in support of European Union brigades and NATO operations. The proposed sale of the UAVs will enable Poland to provide intelligence from the battalion to the brigade or division level.
“The UAVs will support Poland's Manoeuvre Brigades to provide critical intelligence and early warning to military forces to combat terrorist cells and activities. In addition, the UAVs protect the common interests of coalition partners through intelligence gathering, surveillance and reconnaissance.”
The communications architecture included in the proposed package comprises 12 AN/PRC-148 multi-band inter-team radios, 28 AN/VRC-90F Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System (SINCGARS), and 28 RT 1523E SINCGARS receiver-transmitters, and three RT-1796 (P) Harris multi-band radios.
Poland would become the second eastern European country to operate a member of the Shadow family with the Shadow 600 in operational service with Romania.
Source: Flight International
