Close this Advertisement

General Dynamics demos tactical UAV strike capability

  • By Defense Systems Staff
  • Nov 01, 2012

General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems unit and the Army Armament Research and Development Engineering Center have successfully demonstrated the ability of a small unmanned aerial vehicle to launch a Global Positioning System-guided small munition, company officials said Nov. 1.

In three separate engagements an L-3-built Tiger Shark UAV was able to launch munitions from an 81mm mortar equipped with General Dynamics' Roll Control Fixed Canard control system and an ARDEC-developed fuzing system, the officials said.

The three mortar launches were completed by the UAV from altitudes of approximately 7,000 feet and guided to within seven meters of a GPS-identified target grid, the officials said.  

The demonstrations were carried out as part of the Army's Air Drop Mortar program, which seeks to address the needs of the Army, Marine Corps and Special Forces for a rapid target response capability with low-cost munitions.
 

Reader Comments

Please post your comments here. Comments are moderated, so they may not appear immediately after submitting. We will not post comments that we consider abusive or off-topic.

Your Name:(optional)
Your Email:(optional)
Your Location:(optional)
Comment:
Please type the letters/numbers you see above

Webcast

  • Improving Performance Management and Project Control to Meet Cost/Schedule Milestones in DoD Procurement

    It can be nearly impossible to build annual budgets that consider forecasted project and program work plans along with detailed cost data, particularly when attempting to reconcile actual and projected program costs with actual schedule performance. In this webcast, a defense IT program manager will share best practices and hard-won lessons aligning critical data on project performance, cost systems and schedules for truly big picture program management insight. Read more