Micro Air Vehicles sent to Iraq

[unhappycamper]

Micro Air Vehicles sent to Iraq
Staff writer - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Jun 17, 2008 5:48:20 EDT

The U.S. Army is sending its first small, vertical-launch Micro Air Vehicles to Iraq in response to a joint operational needs statement from the combat zone calling for more intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets, service officials said.

Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey “listened to soldiers, and 30 MAVs are on their way to Baghdad two weeks from now,” said Maj. Gen. Charles Cartwright, program manager for Future Combat Systems.

The 40-pound UAV is one of a series of FCS technologies being accelerated to the war zone.

Made by Honeywell, the 1.5-foot vehicle has fixed side- and downward-view electro­optical and infrared cameras, and soon will have a gimbal-mounted camera and a laser designator.

The MAV had been with the 25th Infantry Division in Hawaii and is now testing with Army Evaluation Task Force soldiers at Fort Bliss, Texas.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/06/defense_MAV_061608/

[Catch22Dem]

1. So much more efficient

Exponentially cheaper to build, operate, and maintain. These things are a good move. This is something a veteran and military buff such as myself finds fascinating from a technological standpoint, and APPRECIATES as a taxpayer.