Desert_Hawk_III_brochure.pdf

Desert Hawk III Putting Capability in the Hands of the Warfighter Lockheed Martin’s Desert Hawk III (DH III) small-unmanned aircraft system (UAS) provides the warfighter with an easy-to-use persistent surveillance platform with day/night situational awareness capability. Featuring Open System Architecture, DH III consists of a lightweight, hand- launched, ruggedized air vehicle with snap-on Plug and Playloads?, a portable ground station and a remote video terminal. DH III’s design ensures mission flexibility, growth capabilities and interchangeable payloads. The DH III was designed for portability and ease of use and is currently deployed with British Army forces. The DH III consists of a rugged air vehicle that is quiet, features a 360-degree turret and operates in high winds. The system also includes a lightweight, portable Ground Control Station (GCS) which provides tactical situational awareness, operator training, autonomous preflight planning, in-flight control of plug-and-play optical and infrared sensors, terrain avoidance measures and the ability to provide real-time dynamic in-flight mission and flight profile retasking. The DH III offers a tactical persistent surveillance platform capable of being assembled, mission-planned and launched in as little as 10 minutes. Relying on warfighter feedback, Lockheed Martin has continuously upgraded the DH III with improvements such as a 360-degree Infrared (IR) turret - a first for a hand- launched UAS – to significantly enhance night combat operations. An enhanced wing design increases lift and provides better stability in mountainous elevations and hot weather. This helps make DH III the ideal surveillance tool for warfighters requiring continuous “eyes on” critical events on the ground. This rugged eight- pound UAS is backpack- or suitcase- portable, is hand-launched and recovers via a skid landing. DH III’s upgraded payload control and navigation provide improved geo- c