Netherlands military to buy AeroVironment Raven small unmanned aerial vehicles
MONROVIA, Calif., 30 May 2008.AeroVironment Inc. in Monrovia, Calif., won a $7.7 million contract from The Netherlands Ministry of Defense for RQ-11B Raven small unmanned air vehicles (UAVs).
Each Raven system typically consists of three aircraft, a ground control station, and a remote video terminal.
"We performed a thorough competitive selection process and the Raven came out as a clear winner," says Frans Klein, head section unmanned aircraft for The Netherlands Defense Materiel Organization. "Decisive elements in the selection were hand-launchability, reliability, ease of use, robustness, and proven, in-theater operational performance."
Raven is a 4.2-pound, backpackable, hand-launched sensor platform that provides day and night, real-time video imagery for "over the hill" and "around the corner" reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition in support of tactical units.
U.S. armed forces use Ravens for base security, route reconnaissance, mission planning, and force protection. For more information contact AeroVironment online at www.avinc.com.
