PAE ISR has announced that it has received a Group 3 Interim Flight Clearance for its Resolute Eagle VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing) UAS (unmanned aerial system) from the Naval Air System Command.
PAE ISR was one of four prime awards on the five-year, $1.73 billion NAVAIR indefinite-delivery/indefinite quantity contract to provide intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance support services for land and maritime-based unmanned aerial systems. The IFC verifies the Resolute Eagle’s airworthiness in accordance with the NAVAIR IDIQ requirements.
“The granting of the Cat 3 IFC for the Resolute Eagle vertical takeoff and landing UAS is a significant milestone for the PAE ISR team and recognizes the safety of flight and airworthiness of the Resolute Eagle in the VTOL configuration,” said Jake Jacobs, PAE ISR chief technology officer. “The granting of this IFC required many hours of work between PAE ISR staff and NAVAIR engineers. The IFC process, dictated by NAVAIRINST 13034.1D and administered by NAVAIR AIR-4.0P ensures the Resolute Eagle VTOL UAS can safely operate down range supporting our men and women in uniform.”
Designed for reliable landing and recovery without a runway, the Resolute Eagle is a multi-intelligence capable, Group III UAS in a single, reconfigurable platform with long-range capabilities that provide operators flexibility of configurations, launch environments and mission profiles.
The single, reconfigurable aircraft comes in two configurations—standard and vertical takeoff and landing—with a flight endurance of 12 to 18+ hours depending on configuration. It is runway independent and offers the VTOL configuration for deployment and recovery in challenging conditions, including maritime operations. The aircraft also features a large payload capacity of 75+ lbs (34.0 kg), very low acoustic signature at mission altitudes, small logistical footprint, and significant power onboard for multi-intelligence payload integration.
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