On Schedule for Initial Operational Capability, Hood Tech Vision’s UAV Imagers Continue to Perform

April 16, 2014 - PRLog -- Hood River, OR, USA, April 16, 2014 -- Hood Tech Vision, supplying the imagers for the Blackjack 21-A UAV system, is getting closer to full certification later this year.

From: Hood Tech Corp Vision, Inc., Hood River, Oregon
Date: April 15, 2014
Subject: On Schedule for Initial Operational Capability, Hood Tech Vision’s UAV Imagers Continue to Perform in Blackjack RQ-21A System
Contact: Dr. Andy von Flotow, Hood Tech Corp Vision, Inc., 541-387-2288, andy@hoodtech.com

According to an article in Jane’s (http://www.janes.com/article/36533/navy-league-2014-usmc-on-track-for-blackjack-ioc-this-year) he RQ-21A UAV system, which features Hood Tech Vision’s imagers, is “on track” for initial certification this year. The article states: “The US Marine Corps (USMC) is preparing to declare initial operational capability (IOC) for the … RQ-21A Blackjack unmanned aircraft system (UAS), according to a service official”. “We’re pleased that the Marine Corps have continued on the path to full certification, including our imager, developed specifically for this UAV,” said a Hood Tech representative. “We look forward to the system’s certification and to supplying the Marines with our mission-critical ISR.”

When Hood Tech began producing 800-gm video-camera turrets in 1998, it enabled an entirely new class of small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Hood Technology Vision now designs and manufactures imaging and video processing systems at the highest level of the National Imagery Interpretability Rating Scale (NIIRS): level 9. Hood Tech matches embedded stabilization technology with electro-optical lenses that zoom up to 200 times. This results in a field of view of 0.3 degrees, in a package that weighs from less than one to six kg. Hood Tech Vision imagers consume as little as one-fifth the power common for such systems, increasing the power budget to other sensors for Multi-INT missions. Designed for manned and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), boats, land vehicles, and towed and stationary mounts, the reliability and utility of Hood Tech’s daylight and thermal imaging products has been demonstrated over more than 750,000 hours of use in a variety of temperatures, humidity, dust, smoke, haze, and other environmental factors (http://www.hoodtechvision.com).

Dr. Andy von Flotow founded Hood Technology in Hood River, Oregon in 1992. Along with the design and manufacture of stabilized imaging systems, Hood Tech:

Develops, tests, and manufactures launch and retrieval systems for UAVs
Operates controlled launch and quiet wind tunnel test facilities
Monitors blade vibrations in industrial turbines and jet engines, including diagnostic methods that predict possible future failures.

The Hood Tech web site is: www.hoodtech.com

Contact:
Andy von Flotow
Hood Tech
1750 Country Club Rd.
Hood River, OR 97031
5413872288
ken@hoodtech.com
http://www.hoodtech.com