Date posted: 11/08/2006*

Raytheon Missile Systems recently unveiled the Cobra Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS), a low-cost, highly reliable UAS designed to support Raytheon’s development, integration and test of unmanned systems technologies.

The Cobra test bed will be used for the development, test and demonstration of sensor systems; networked command, control and communications systems; and UAS architectural concepts. Cobra development began in 2005 when the need to test technology requirements was not being met by available unmanned systems.

The Cobra UAS integrates advanced systems and capabilities from several Raytheon businesses, including Missile Systems, Intelligence and Information Systems, Space and Airborne Systems, and Network Centric Systems.

“The Cobra UAS will significantly decrease costs and compress schedules for bringing new UAS technologies to market,” said Ken Pederson, Missile Systems vice president of Advanced Programs. “Our customers will benefit from our ability to support both internal Raytheon development efforts and their programs with Cobra, without increasing the pressure on tactical systems and valuable range resources.”

In addition to being a collaborative One Company technology effort, the Cobra UAS is the third unmanned aircraft to receive an Experimental Airworthiness Certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration. This certification is the first given to a small UAS — Cobra has a 10-foot wingspan and is nine feet long — and permits Cobra to conduct flight operations in designated national airspace.

“We also plan to explore potential UAS missions and applications in tomorrow’s net-centric battlefield,” said Don Newman, Missile Systems director of Unmanned Systems. “This certification has given us a substantial lead in today’s UAS marketplace, and we want to increase that advantage going forward.”

The Cobra team, which will begin flight testing soon, is currently building nine more systems to support a wide range of customer test needs.

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