Mon, Dec 17, 2012
Ten-Hour Test Flight Provided Real-Time Full-Motion Video To Troops On The Ground
Marines in Afghanistan witnessed the first flight of AAI's Aerosonde Unmanned Air System (UAS) Dec. 2. The flight was conducted under NAVAIR’s Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) services contract. AAI field services representatives conducted the nearly 10-hour mission and provided real-time full-motion video (FMV) to Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron (VMU) 3.
Under ISR services, the Aerosonde 4.7G UAS is a contractor-owned and operated system. The 70-pound air vehicle provides real-time FMV and other sensor capability to Marines deployed in Afghanistan.
“ISR services continue to be a very important piece of our kit and allows us to quickly and efficiently fill the demand for our current theaters of operations,” said Col. Jim Rector, program manager for the Navy and Marine Corps Small Tactical UAS (STUAS) Program Office (PMA-263). “Until we field our current expeditionary STUAS Program of Record for this class/group of UAS, the requirement for both land- and ship-based ISR services are going to continue for the Marine Corps.”
PMA-263 currently supports the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Special Operations Command with ISR services, Rector said. In June 2012, PMA-263 awarded a land-based task order to AAI under the NAVAIR ISR services contract. Under the contract, AAI provides up to 3,600 hours per month of ISR services and manages all operations and maintenance of the UAS for up to one year, with options to extend.
AAI is concurrently supporting training and UAS familiarization exercises at Twentynine Palms, CA, for the Marine Corps.
More News
From 2023 (YouTube Version): Legacy of a Titan Robert (Bob) Anderson Hoover was a fighter pilot, test pilot, flight instructor, and air show superstar. More so, Bob Hoover was an i>[...]
Get The Latest in Aviation News NOW on Instagram Are you on Instagram yet? It's been around for a few years, quietly picking up traction mostly thanks to everybody's new obsession >[...]
Aero Linx: B-52H Stratofortress The B-52H Stratofortress is a long-range, heavy bomber that can perform a variety of missions. The bomber is capable of flying at high subsonic spee>[...]
Altimeter Setting The barometric pressure reading used to adjust a pressure altimeter for variations in existing atmospheric pressure or to the standard altimeter setting (29.92).>[...]
"Knowing that we play an active part in bettering people's lives is extremely rewarding. My team and I are very thankful for the opportunity to be here and to help in any way we ca>[...]