Insitu announces SOCOM ScanEagle UAV contract
Insitu will continue to provide intelligence gathering, target surveillance, and reconnaissance services for US Special Operations Command (SOCOM) under a new 26 month contract announced on 22 February. The Mid-Endurance Unmanned Aircraft Systems (MEUAS) contract will run until 28 February 2015.
Insitu has provided ISR services to SOCOM for over three years with its ScanEagle runway-independent unmanned aircraft system (UAS). Under the new contract, Insitu said it will introduce several technologies that will significantly increase the capability of the warfigher.
Curt Chesnutt, senior vice president of ScanEagle Programs, Insitu, said: ‘Insitu is honoured to continue providing ISR services to the warfighter. For the past three and a half years we have provided SOCOM agile and responsive and uninterrupted services with our ScanEagle system and we look forward to continuing our valued relationship.’
The runway-independent ScanEagle UAS has a small-operational footprint and allows Special Operations forces to capture superior image quality. The system can remain covert and on station for more than 24 hours, carrying an electro-optic or infrared imager in a gyro-stabilised turret. It can be re-configured quickly in the field with a variety of options, from a midwave infrared imager to custom communications relay payloads. The avionics bay as well as optional configurations such as the blind nose and additional mid-bay allow for a variety of custom configurations.
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