EADS – New Drones Successful in Aerial Target Simulation of Bundeswehr
Friedrichshafen, 02 December 2003
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EADS has successfully operated the new DO-DT 25 drone system for air defence training during the “Baltic Fire“ exercise of the German Air Force (GAF). As reported by Dornier GmbH – a unit of EADS – on Tuesday, the company-built drones have been used as aerial target simulation systems for live firing with the man-portable air defence system.
Every year, the German Air Force conducts air defence exercises with shoulder-fired weapons at the Polish firing range near Uska on the Baltic Sea. Within an order granted by the Federal Office of Defence Technology and Procurement (BWB) to Dornier GmbH in June 2003, the DO-DT 25 drone was operated for the first time for live firing.
DO-DT 25 is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with jet propulsion. Reaching a speed of 450 km/h, this new Dornier-developed system allows low-cost and realistic simulation of attacking combat aircraft. For this purpose, the drones have been equipped with special heat sources simulating the infra-red signature of advanced combat aircraft. Furthermore, radar sensors for stand-off and scoring measurement have been installed in the drones. The DO-DT 25 drones are launched by a pneumatic catapult. In-flight control and guidance is carried out by the autopilot in accordance with pre-defined, pre-programmed flight profiles whose way-points are determined via satellite control (GPS).
EADS Defence and Communications Systems (DCS) is a unit of the newly formed Defence and Security Systems Division. This business unit is focused on new developments of the defence market which are increasingly concentrating on global solutions and integrated systems. For this purpose, DCS combines various defence activities with the telecommunications business of EADS. The business unit has expertise in the fields of manned and unmanned reconnaissance systems, military command and control systems, naval and air defence, as well as public security including homeland security and information networks.
With revenues of € 29.9 billion and more than 100,000 employees, EADS is the second largest aerospace and defence company in the world. As a systems integrator, EADS is one of the few companies world-wide capable of combining various products and technologies to form complete systems. EADS includes the aircraft manufacturer Airbus, the world’s largest helicopter supplier Eurocopter and MBDA, the second largest missile producer in the world.
Friedrichshafen, December 02, 2003/03003
For further information:
Michael Hartwig
Tel. 07545-8-9124
Fax . -8-5888
E-Mail: michael.hartwig@dornier.eads.net
