Wed, Aug 10, 2011
Nine-Pound Electric Aircraft Designed For Urban
Environments
A small, hovering unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) called GHOST
will be introduced by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) at AUVSI's
Unmanned Systems North America next week in Washington, DC.
GHOST UAV IAI Photo
GHOST weighs approximately 9 pounds, and provides real-time
intelligence to ground forces operating in urban areas. GHOST is
equipped with an automatic vertical takeoff & landing system
and can loiter for up to 30 minutes. The system was designed with
twin rotary electrical engines so it can be silent and support day
and night special operation missions.
The man-machine interface and operational concept is based on
the principles of computer games, which IAI says makes the system
extremely intuitive to operate and requires little training. The
entire system can be carried in backpacks by two soldiers and
includes: two platforms, batteries, and a command and control unit
with communications. GHOST is suitable for paramilitary and
homeland security applications due to its simplicity and ease of
operation.
Itzhak Nissan, IAI's President & CEO said: "The innovative
concepts used to develop GHOST highlight IAI's goal to do its
utmost to support the ground forces. GHOST demonstrates IAI's
leading technology and know-how gathered through years of
experience in unmanned aerial systems."
GHOST will be on display at Booth 713 - Stark Aerospace, a
subsidiary of IAI North America. Other UAVs on display will include
the ETOP (Electric Tethered Observation Platform) and the HERON
UAS. Heron recently reached full operational capability as part of
the German Air Force's activities in Afghanistan.
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