• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Army awards 'Warrior' long-range UAV contract

August 10, 2005

REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. (Army News Service, Aug. 10, 2005) – The Army has awarded a $214-million contract for development of an Extended-Range Multi-Purpose unmanned aerial vehicle named the “Warrior.”

The ERMP Warrior will have the longest range of any UAV system in the Army, and its diesel-powered air vehicle will eliminate the need for a special fuel on the battlefield, officials said. The air vehicle will have multiple on-board weapons and be capable of loitering over enemy territories for 36 hours at altitudes up to 25,000 feet.

The Warrior contract went to General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., of San Diego, Calif., for system development and demonstration. The contract was facilitated by the reinvestment of Comanche helicopter dollars, said Bob Hunt, a spokesman for the Army Aviation and Missile Command. He said the new UAV directly supports the Army's Aviation Modernization Plan.

The Army intends to procure 11 Warrior systems, each with 12 aerial vehicles, five ground control stations and other support equipment such as ground data terminals, spares, and Interactive Electronic Technical Manuals that are required to test and field a complete system.

The new UAV will be capable of executing missions such as reconnaissance, communications relay, and attack with its multiple weapons, Hunt said. He said Warrior’s network connectivity will reduce the sensor-to-shooter time to better suppress enemy threats. Warrior also will include an automatic takeoff and landing system and control via satellite communication and the Tactical Common Data Link.

The Warrior is intended to eventually replace the Hunter UAV, Hunt said.

The Warrior’s system development and demonstration phase is expected to last about 48 months. Initial Operational Capability is expected in fiscal year 2009. Total program cost is expected to be about $1 billion.

(Editor's note: Information provided by an Army Aviation and Missile Command release.)