Cassidian produces 1,000th target drone

Feb. 15, 2013 - PRLog -- Cassidian has produced its 1,000th target drone at its site in Friedrichshafen. On Tuesday, the DT 45 target drone was finalised for use by the German Navy. Target UAVs are used to train air defence units and flight crews as well as to test guided missiles.

Since 2002, Cassidian has been constructing target drones that can be equipped with a wide variety of sensors and transmitters. This includes, for example, infra-red and radar emitters for simulating threat scenarios, such as hostile aircraft or missile attacks.

“For over ten years now, the units have been using our target drones for air defence training for all armed forces on their respective weapon systems, and for practising the interaction between all participants,” said Stefan Baten, Head of Target Systems & Services. He went on to add: “By providing armed forces with the ability to portray complex scenarios, we can offer them clear added value in terms of tactical combat.”

The German Armed Forces practise at the target ranges in Todendorf/Putlos on the Baltic Sea, in South Africa and in Crete and use all types of target drones. Aside from them, armed forces from the Middle East, Canada, South Africa and Asia also use Cassidian’s target simulation.

Beyond producing the target drones, Cassidian offers a complete package of aerial target services around the world, ranging from devising tactical scenarios and supplying and firing the corresponding target drones, to providing a hit analysis. Cassidian’s service also includes providing the complete infrastructure for operating target simulation, as has been the case since 1988 at NATO’s NAMFI target range in Crete, for instance.

Developed by Cassidian, the target drones are easy to operate and extremely reliable and allow flexible use, including both land- and ship-based launch. Cassidian’s engineers are constantly working to improve the payloads of the target UAVs in order to simulate missions using ever more modern air defence systems, in ever more complex scenarios.

About CASSIDIAN (www.cassidian.com)

Cassidian, an EADS company, is a worldwide leader in global security solutions and systems, providing Lead Systems Integration and value-added products and services to civil and military customers around the globe: air systems (aircraft and unmanned aerial systems), land, naval and joint systems, intelligence and surveillance, cyber security, secure communications, test systems, missiles, services and support solutions. In 2011, Cassidian – with around 28,000 employees – achieved revenues of € 5.8 billion. EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services. In 2011, the Group – comprising Airbus, Astrium, Cassidian and Eurocopter – generated revenues of € 49.1 billion and employed a workforce of more than 133,000.

CASSIDIAN – Defending World Security