U-TacS, awarded $70 million contract by Thales for Watchkeeper maintenance and logistic support

15th April 2010 - 10:25 GMT | by The Shephard News Team

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Elbit Systems Ltd. announced today that UAS Tactical Systems Ltd. (U-TacS) - its Leicester-based joint company with Thales UK, has been awarded a $70 million contract by Thales UK to provide Contractor Logistics Support (CLS) services for the Watchkeeper project to be undertaken over the next three years.

The Watchkeeper project, one of the largest Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) projects in the world, is designed to provide the UK armed forces with essential Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) capabilities. The project's prime contractor is Thales UK. U-TacS is in charge of development, integration, test flights and manufacture of the UAS' sub-systems, including the unmanned aircraft, the ground control station, Elbit Systems Electro-Optics Elop's D-CoMPASS payload and other systems.

In conjunction with its role on the Watchkeeper project, U-TacS also provides the Hermes 450, under an Urgent Operational Requirement (UOR) program, in which the UK armed forces operate Hermes 450 UAS to support its forces deployed in Afghanistan. Hermes 450 UAS have flown more than 30,000 operational hours in support of these ongoing operations.

U-TacS is held 51% by Elbit Systems with the balance being owned by Thales UK.

Source: Elbit Systems