ShadowHawk picked for Navy demo program

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SPRING, Texas, March 8 (UPI) -- Vanguard Defense Industries' ShadowHawk UAV has been picked by the U.S. Navy to participate in the Stiletto Maritime Demonstration Program.

Stiletto is to help accelerate the delivery of innovative maritime technologies across all of the armed services and features an innovative vessel for littoral combat.

"This program is ideally geared to showcase innovative technologies such as our ShadowHawk," said Michael Buscher, chief executive officer of Vanguard Defense Industries. "We are pleased with the decision by the Department of Navy to select our platform for this demonstration and look forward to the feedback from the U.K. Defense Science and Technology Laboratory as well."

The Stiletto program is funded by the Department of Defense. Britain's Defense Science and Technology Laboratory has been invited to witness ShadowHawk's demonstration for the U.S. Navy Expeditionary Combat Command.

"Warfighting needs are rapidly changing and our interest is in looking at mature technologies and future capabilities that could be transitioned to fill an operational need sooner than later," said Dale Shiflett, NECC's deputy assistant chief of staff for Strategy and Technology. "Using the Stiletto Maritime Demonstration Program allows us to look at the realm of possibilities for new and improved technologies."

The ShadowHawk is 89 inches long, can carry a 22-pound payload and has a cruising speed of 22 miles per hour. It's range in 15 miles.