Lockheed touts new small UAS

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LAS VEGAS, Aug. 8 (UPI) -- Lockheed Martin Procerus Technologies is touting its new small vertical takeoff and landing unmanned aircraft system at an industry conference in Nevada.

The man-packable VTOL weighs 5 pounds and features a quad rotor and dual-sensor platform and a gimbal mount that includes electro-optical and infrared sensors.

A laser illuminator provides continuous 360-degree panning capability.

"We are leveraging years of experience in building small, innovative avionics and payload technologies to develop an affordable and efficient VTOL solution," said Todd Titensor, senior manager of Lockheed Martin Procerus Technologies.

"Our system is quiet, can operate day or night in challenging weather conditions and has longer operating time than other VTOL platforms."

The VTOL is equipped with a Kestrel 3 autopilot and can be deployed in minutes. Its flight endurance is as much as 40 minutes.

Other features include a wireless hand controller.

The company said the system is ideal for use in cluttered urban environments.