Test Proves Raytheon KillerBee Unmanned Aircraft System Can Be Recovered At Sea
Raytheon Company's KillerBee unmanned aircraft system demonstrated it can be recovered from a net on a moving platform, simulating an at-sea recovery.
The KillerBee UAS features a blended-wing aircraft body design. It also has systems for land or sea launch, recovery and ground control. The unique design of KillerBee enables growth for future payloads and additional mission capabilities.
During the land-based test, KillerBee was recovered in a net mounted on a rapidly moving truck, demonstrating that the guidance system enables aircraft recovery from platforms moving at speeds similar to a naval vessel.
"Raytheon continues to provide innovative UAS solutions that deliver actionable intelligence to the warfighter," said Bob Francois, Raytheon Missile Systems Advanced Programs vice president. "KillerBee's minimal footprint ensures our ability to integrate the system onto a wide variety of U.S. Navy ships."
KillerBee is designed to provide the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps with a UAS for their respective Small Tactical Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Tier II missions, which require UAS launch and recovery aboard a ship. KillerBee is ideally suited for force protection in an expeditionary environment and represents a major upgrade to today's embedded airborne surveillance, reconnaissance and target acquisition capability.
More from Uncrewed Vehicles
-
First flights of Rattler Supersonic Target prove successful
The US Department of Defense (DoD), along with QinetiQ, successfully conducted the first flights of the Rattler Supersonic Target MkI marking a significant advance in supersonic target technology.
-
Dedrone supplies CUAS systems to Ukraine and increases signal library
Dedrone has announced a strategic expansion via 16 new governmental contracts as the US-based CUAS company continued to develop its drone countermeasure technologies.
-
Baykar’s Akıncı UCAV completes live firing trials over the Black Sea
The Turkish company’s advanced unmanned combat aerial vehicle demonstrated its capabilities during successful live firing trials.
-
Iranian UAV threat leaves Israel’s defence industry searching for answers
Iran has continued to invest heavily in its drone-building capacity, supplying Russia and Iranian proxies throughout the Middle East, leading defence experts in Israel to call for more defensive solutions be developed to deter the threat from UAVs.
-
Emgepron and Tidewise team up to develop first ‘made-in-Brazil’ USV
Brazil's Emgepron and Tidewise have partnered to construct the Suppressor unmanned surface vessel by 2025 amid potential interest from the Brazilian Navy.
-
Autonomous navigation drives UUVs proliferation in the Indo-Pacific
The US Department of Defence has teamed up with Anduril Industries to develop advanced AI-driven long-range uncrewed underwater vehicles (UUVs), countering China’s escalating UUV advancements.