Friday, March 13, 2009

BAE Buys U.S. UAV Maker

BAE Buys U.S. UAV Maker
(NSI News Source Info) LONDON - March 13, 2009: BAE Systems has taken another step toward building its unmanned air vehicle business by acquiring the privately owned Advanced Ceramics Research for an undisclosed sum. Silver Fox UAV - From the original Silver Fox research and development program funded by Small Business Innovative Research grants and Science Technology Transfer programs under the Office of Naval Research and by the Naval Air Systems Command came evaluations of it by units of the Navy, Marine Corps, Army, Air Force and Coast Guard. Through spiral development grounded in battle front use and in employment for training and exercises the Silver Fox UAV has proven to be the unmanned aerial vehicle of choice by many. The Silver Fox UAV provides lower cost, high endurance and exceptional autonomous aerial surveillance imaging, carrying miniaturized sensor payloads for day or night operations with a small operations footprint. The Silver Fox engineering team can integrate cameras and sensors for image or data collection and transmission via its integrated ground control system (iGCS). It can be launched from the portable, lightweight, closed gas piston rail system mounted atop its storage case, on board small boats, submarines and ships, armored vehicles, HUMVEEs or trucks. Arizona-based Advanced Ceramics Research produces three small UAVs and related ground support equipment. It also sells ceramic materials in the military and civil aerospace markets. Unmanned systems, primarily for air applications, are for the moment a fledgling business for BAE but it is one of the sectors targeted for major growth by the company through acquisition and organic growth. To date, BAE's work in the UAV business has centered on larger tactical and strategic platform developments based in the U.K. The company has started marketing its Herti autonomously operated UAV and is center stage in British efforts to develop a wider capability in the sector with the much larger Reaper-sized Mantis and Taranis vehicles. Mantis is already in Australia, awaiting its maiden flight from the Woomera test range early in the second quarter of this year. Taranis is now in final assembly with ground trials slated to begin in late 2009. Both programs are part U.K. government funded. Advanced Ceramics' UAVs range from the Silver Fox with its 8-pound payload and 10-hour duration, to the Coyote with a 1-pound payload and 90-minute duration. Walt Havenstein, the president and chief executive of BAE's U.S. operations, said in a statement that the acquisition will "provide BAE with an excellent set of mature, operational products within the small/mini and tactical unmanned air systems market. The addition of these smaller platforms will complement the larger UAS being developed by BAE in the U.K."

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