General Dynamics demos tactical UAV strike capability
A General Dynamics unit and the Army have successfully demonstrated the ability of a small unmanned aerial vehicle to launch a Global Positioning System-guided small munition.
General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems unit and the Army Armament Research and Development Engineering Center have successfully demonstrated the ability of a small unmanned aerial vehicle to launch a Global Positioning System-guided small munition, company officials said Nov. 1.
In three separate engagements an L-3-built Tiger Shark UAV was able to launch munitions from an 81mm mortar equipped with General Dynamics' Roll Control Fixed Canard control system and an ARDEC-developed fuzing system, the officials said.
The three mortar launches were completed by the UAV from altitudes of approximately 7,000 feet and guided to within seven meters of a GPS-identified target grid, the officials said.
The demonstrations were carried out as part of the Army's Air Drop Mortar program, which seeks to address the needs of the Army, Marine Corps and Special Forces for a rapid target response capability with low-cost munitions.