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With all the attention being paid to the projected increases in the MQ-1 Predator fleet and tests of the MQ-9 Predator B, other Umanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) may not get much attention. Recently, small business qualifier Aurora Flight Sciences of Manassas, VA received a sole-source delivery order amount of $5 million as part of a $20 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for development of the Excalibur Tactical UAV.
Excalibur will be a dedicated attack UAV, compatible with Hellfire, Joint Common Missile, Viper Strike and other small, precision-guided munitions recently developed by the Department of Defense. Aurora is under contract to design a 1,000 pound Excalibur technology demonstrator aircraft, which is scheduled for flight in 2007.
Work on this contract modification will be performed in Manassas, VA and is expected to be complete by April 24, 2010. The U.S. Army Aviation Applied Technology Directorate in Fort Eustis, VA issued the contract (W911W6-05-D-0003). Aurora Flight Sciences is also a partner with Northrop Grumman in the Hunter II UAV team, a license-built IAI Heron UAV that adds HURT capabilities to improve data sharing and control.