The United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence awarded Lockheed Martin a $5.1 million contract for additional Desert Hawk III unmanned aircraft vehicles.
Awarded by the MoD’s Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) organization, the latest contract calls for Lockheed Martin to deliver the Desert Hawk III air vehicles — which as a result of ongoing obsolescence management and technology advancements in this area feature enhanced 360-degree infrared and 360-degree, 10-times zoom electro optics — by fall 2010. The eight-pound Desert Hawk III fconsists of a light weight, hand-launched, ruggedized air vehicle with snap-on Plug and Playloads, a portable ground station and a remote video terminal.
"We are extremely pleased with the enhanced capability that these new payloads bring to Desert Hawk III and the British Army," said Duncan Robbins, program manager for mini-UAV systems, U.K. MOD DE&S. "Desert Hawk’s latest enhancements allow it to operate more effectively in difficult conditions and provide our soldiers with greater situational awareness in a very timely manner."