Defence

DATE:02/07/07

SOURCE:Flight International

Honeywell's ducted-fan MAV hunts improvised explosives in Iraq

Honeywell's Micro Air Vehicle (MAV) has become the first ducted-fan unmanned air vehicle (UAV) to be used in combat.

Weighing barely 7.3kg (16lb), the 400mm (13in)-diameter vertical take-off and landing UAV has been deployed to Iraq to help find improvised explosive devices.

Able to hover and stare, the UAV can be flown down to just above the ground to inspect hazardous areas without exposing soldiers to enemy fire, says Honeywell.

Under a $7.5 million contract, the US Navy has purchased more than a dozen MAVs for training and deployment to Iraq.

Small enough to fit in a backpack, the MAV can carry electro-optical daylight or infrared night cameras. The ground station is used to program the flightpath or fly the UAV manually.

Developed for the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the MAV is in production for the US Army's Future Combat Systems programme.

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