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Desert Hawk mini-UAV builds on combat experience
Monday, 10 September, 2007
Deployed in theatre and operated by US and UK forces, the Desert Hawk I and I+ have been battle-tested in harsh desert conditions, as a result of which Desert Hawk III has been developed.
Featured on Lockheed Martin’s Stand 1455, Desert Hawk III has been designed for portability, multi-mission versatility, enhanced day/night target detection, recognition and identification, as well as greater operational range, endurance and covert operations.
Desert Hawk III has to be ‘soldierproof’ and therefore rugged, enabling it to be hand-launched after carriage in a backpack and after plug-and-play payloads have been installed or exchanged for quick deployment.
The extremely low aural signature of the mini-UAV facilitates covert use (it is essentially inaudible at distances greater than 100ft), allowing it to be used without compromising surveillance techniques or revealing the presence of the operator.
No less than three different imaging payloads can be used (one at a time), and depending on the frequency and configuration, the Desert Hawk III has an operational range of up to 15km. Weighing 3kg empty and capable of carrying a 1kg payload, this mini-UAV has a 90-minute endurance and is clearly destined to support frontline soldiers well into the future.
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