Solar Energy News  
Raytheon Teams With Swift Engineering To Offer KillerBee UAS

The Swift Engineering blended wing body design sets KillerBee apart from similar sized unmanned aerial vehicles and is designed to operate ashore or aboard ships with a minimal footprint.
by Staff Writers
Tucson AZ (SPX) May 13, 2008
Raytheon has teamed with Swift Engineering, Inc. to provide the U.S. Navy and U. S. Marine Corps with an unmanned aircraft system for their respective Small Tactical Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Tier 2 missions. Raytheon leads the team and offers aircraft and mission systems integration with connectivity to the customers' combat systems and command and control systems.

Swift Engineering, based in San Clemente, Calif., is providing its innovative KillerBee unmanned aerial vehicle.

KillerBee has the ability to insert persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) into the battlespace and rapidly deliver actionable intelligence to combatant commanders. Raytheon Missile Systems leads the integrated team, which includes other Raytheon business units for the ground control system, C4ISR integration, and Mission Support, plus the efforts of Swift Engineering and Optical Alchemy.

"KillerBee offers the warfighter an affordable unmanned aircraft system, and the Swift Engineering vehicle has both longer endurance and the ability to carry a larger payload," said Ken Pedersen, Raytheon vice president of Advanced Programs. "The Raytheon team is using proven, existing technology, so KillerBee can be fielded in the near term."

The Swift Engineering blended wing body design sets KillerBee apart from similar sized unmanned aerial vehicles and is designed to operate ashore or aboard ships with a minimal footprint.

The KillerBee Ground Control System will leverage the benefits of Raytheon's Tactical Control System while incorporating advancements realized from the development of Raytheon's Multi-Vehicle Control System. The GCS can simultaneously control multiple, dissimilar vehicles and is based on standard NATO architecture, providing vehicle flight control and a visual presentation of flight data.

"Raytheon has more than 35 years of unmanned aircraft system command and control expertise dating back to the Vietnam War," said Mark Bigham, director of business development for Raytheon's Intelligence and Information Systems business. "With the KillerBee Ground Control System and our expertise in video dissemination capabilities, we will deliver a new level of situation awareness and targeting to the warfighter."

Repeated air and ground testing has demonstrated that KillerBee outperforms any vehicle in its class, validating control, processing and display functions, and demonstrating its suitability as a solution for the U. S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps' Small Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System/Tier 2 program. Flight tests throughout 2008 will ensure a high-technology readiness level of the entire KillerBee system.

Related Links
UAV News - Suppliers and Technology



Memory Foam Mattress Review
Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News


EU satellite imagery experts will seek to solve Georgia drones row
Brussels (AFP) May 9, 2008
Experts from the EU Satellite Centre in Spain will travel to Georgia to help investigate recent incidents involving Georgian drones overflying the rebel region of Abkhazia, an EU spokeswoman said Friday.







  • French contemplate bid for leading UK nuclear utility
  • Finland to decide on new nuclear reactors in 2010: govt
  • EDF buys land near British nuclear sites: report
  • Most Finns against new nuclear reactors in Finland: poll

  • McCain splits with Bush on climate change
  • Key Climate Sensor Restored To NPOESS
  • Cleaner air to worsen droughts in Amazon: study
  • Australia needs years of heavy rainfall to crack drought: experts

  • Keeping Yields, Profits And Water Quality High
  • Surging food prices bite across Asia
  • Chinese firm to grow rice in Tanzania: company
  • China aims to keep grain output above 500 mln tonnes in 2008: report

  • Rainfall, rivers predict fish biodiversity
  • What's Bugging Locusts. It Could Be They're Hungry - For Each Other
  • Platypus Genome Sequenced, Unlocking Secrets Of Evolution
  • UNEP sounds alarm over decline in migratory birds

  • NASA Successfully Completes First Series Of Ares Engine Tests
  • NASA Awards Contract For Ares I Mobile Launcher
  • Russia's Energomash To Double Production Of Rocket Engines
  • Queensland Uni And NASA Sign Hypersonic Propulsion Deal

  • Nuclear Power In Space - Part 2
  • Outside View: Nuclear future in space
  • Nuclear Power In Space

  • USGS Awards Satellite Imagery Contracts: Enhancing Access To Users
  • Bluesky Launches 3D Computer Models Of Britain's Cities
  • Cartosat 2a Puts The World In High Resolution For Indian Government
  • NASA Nasa Satellite Captures Image Of Cyclone Nargis Flooding In Myanmar

  • Raytheon Reaches Key Milestone On NASA Glory Space Program
  • Integral Systems Europe Announces EPOCH IPS Satellite Ground System PUS Compliance
  • Boeing Provides New Test Facility For Next-Gen Radar Technology
  • NASA's WMAP Poses For ESA's Gaia

  • The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright Space.TV Corporation. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space.TV Corp on any Web page published or hosted by Space.TV Corp. Privacy Statement