Israel Aircraft Industries unmanned plane in final stretch of U.S. Army tender

Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) has reached the final stages of a U.S. military tender for unmanned aerial vehicles. In this tender, IAI is a subcontractor for Northrop Grumman, which now faces General Atomics in the final stage for the contract worth some $900 million.

In choosing between the two, the American army must decide whether it will go with the Hunter 2, the latest of IAI's Hunter family of unmanned aerial vehicles, developed and manufactured by the Israel Aircraft's IAI/MALAT plant, or the American Warrior vehicle.

The first generation of both of these aircraft was used in operations by the U.S. Army in Iraq and Afghanistan. The U.S. Army also awarded both companies a grant of $250,000 each to prepare continuing trials on their UAVs which are scheduled to take place in the coming months in Arizona.

However, the final winner of the trials, to be announced in the second quarter 2005, will become the sole supplier of tactical unmanned aerial vehicles for the U.S. Army.

Bill McCall, Northrop Grumman senior program manager said after the race had narrowed down to the two rivals that in the final stage of the tender, the Hunter 2 will demonstrate its flight activities and operational abilities.

The first generation of the Hunter UAV was a joint development 10 years ago, commissioned by the U.S. Army, which in the end ordered only a few of the systems and land stations following a series of unexpected troubles.

Despite this setback, and as it had canceled its plans for the aircraft, it then used the Israeli Hunter UAVs in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Northrop Grumman reported after the army's decision on the final stage of the tender, that the Hunter planes had accumulated some 32,000 flight hours, 13,000 of which were in operations in the Balkans and the war in Iraq.