 |
| MQ-9 UAS. Photo: U.S. Air Force |
[Avionics Today 01-22-2015] Exelis has received a follow-on contract from General Atomics Aeronautical Systems to continue producing and supplying the BRU-71/A ejector rack for the Predator B/MQ-9 Reaper Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV).
Under the contract, Exelis will produce 619 BRU-71/A units for U.S. Government MQ-9s. The BRU-71/A is a pneumatic carriage and release system that uses compressed air rather than pyrotechnic cartridges to deploy payloads, reducing wear-and-tear and overall system maintenance, according to the company.
“Unmanned and remotely piloted platforms are important to an increasingly wide range of missions,” said Pete Martin, vice president and general manager of the Exelis electronic attack and release systems business. “It is essential that the technologies they rely on, like our carriage and release systems, are designed to enhance their performance and endurance to support mission success into the future.”