Ramon Lopez/WASHINGTON DC
The US Department of Defense's Joint Requirements Oversight Council has decided to allow the US Army to proceed with the Tactical Unmanned Air Vehicle (TUAV) programme, prompting the Army to run a competition that may yet include the previously favoured contender, the Alliant Techsystems Outrider UAV.
Lt Gen Paul Kern, a senior US Army procurement official, says that the US Army will launch a new fast-track TUAV contest within six months, which will involve off-the-shelf systems. The performance requirements, including the vehicle's range, are unknown.
The Outrider had been selected for the US Army, Navy and Marine Corps, but showed mixed results during a two-year advanced concept technology demonstration (ACTD), causing the USN and USMC to switch to a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) UAV.
The Navy and Marine Corps have specified a 200km (110nm) range, but the Army could specify as little as 50km range in favour of more endurance.
The Army may opt for an inexpensive short-range UAV, such as the S-TEC STM-5B Sentry, and eventually buy the VTOL UAV picked by the USN and USMC.
Alliant Techsystems will be allowed to compete, but the company wants to know more about new performance requirements before it makes a commitment.
US companies which lost to Alliant in the original competition - including General Atomics with the Prowler; AAI with an improved Shadow and Northrop Grumman/Target Technology with the Spectre, have declared their intention to compete. Mission Technologies, Alliant's former partner on the Outrider, also intends to be a player in the new contest.
AAI is offering a redesigned Shadow 200, dubbed the 200T, with a Herbranson DYAD 290 tractor engine in place of the UAV Engines AR741 rotary pusher. The company says it can meet the cost goal established for the TUAV ACTD of $300,000 for the 100th air vehicle.
Source: Flight International
