TUCSON, Ariz., 4 May 2009Raytheon purchased rights to the technology and name of the KillerBee unmanned aircraft system (UAS) from Northrop Grumman. Under the agreement, Raytheon will submit the KillerBee for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps' Small Tactical UAS and Tier II competition.
"We're competing for STUAS Tier II but that is only the beginning," says Bob Francois, Raytheon Missile Systems Advanced Programs vice president. "Raytheon has rights to produce, improve and sell KillerBee IV and our plan is to continuously mature the system and tailor it to meet the needs of allied warfighters around the globe."
The KillerBee UAS features a blended-wing aircraft body design. It also has common systems for land or sea launch, recovery, and ground control. The unique design of KillerBee enables growth for future payloads and additional mission capabilities.
KillerBee is ideal for force protection in an expeditionary environment, and represents a major upgrade to today's embedded airborne surveillance, reconnaissance, and target acquisition capability, Raytheon officials say.
