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Raytheon Develops Unmanned Aircraft System Ground Solution to Meet Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Needs

Written by thomas · Filed Under Aeronautics News 

September 16, 2008

thomas

FALLS CHURCH, Va., Sept. 16, 2008 /PRNewswire/ — Raytheon Company
(NYSE: RTN) has developed an advanced common ground control system, or
CGCS, for the U.S. Air Force to address mission capability needs for the
Predator unmanned aircraft system.

“We’ve been working with combat-tested UAS operators and trainers for
more than two years to develop a CGCS that puts the human operator into the
UAS ‘cockpit’ to dramatically improve the way he or she operates unmanned
aircraft systems,” said Mark Bigham, business development director for
Raytheon’s Intelligence and Information Systems business.

“The results have been exciting,” Bigham added. “Our unsolicited bid
for the Predator ground control system will address significant decreases
in required aircrew manpower, faster training and greatly reduce mishap
rates previously attributed to human-machine interface or pilot error. It
also enables more aircraft to be controlled by the same number of
operators, increasing more unmanned aircraft systems in operation.”

The proposed CGCS is also compatible with improved Predator operations
centers currently being fielded to the U.S. Air National Guard. For more
than 35 years, Raytheon has been a recognized leader in developing a wide
variety of unmanned aircraft systems for the U.S. military.

Bigham said, “The CGCS will help the current Predator contractor
maximize the number of unmanned aircraft systems operators can fly,
ultimately helping to meet Secretary of Defense Gates’ goal of ‘more ISR
now.'”

Raytheon says it can produce the first CGCS system in less than 12
months with data support from platform primes and adequate funding support
for the Department of Defense. Raytheon predicts that during the next 10
years, it can save the Air Force more than $500 million. The five cost
savings benefits are:

— Reduce manpower requirements by 20 percent
— Reduce ground control segment requirements by 20 percent
— Reduce training time and costs by 30 percent
— Reduce aircraft losses by 50 percent

Based in Garland, Texas, Raytheon IIS is a leading provider of
information and intelligence solutions to the government. ISS had 2007
annual revenues of approximately $2.7 billion and employs more than 9,000
engineering and technical professionals worldwide.

Raytheon Company, with 2007 sales of $21.3 billion, is a technology
leader specializing in defense, homeland security and other government
markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 86
years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems
integration and other capabilities in the areas of sensing; effects; and
command, control, communications and intelligence systems, as well as a
broad range of mission support services. With headquarters in Waltham,
Mass., Raytheon employs 72,000 people worldwide.

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