ST. LOUIS, Dec. 3 (UPI) -- The U.S. Naval Air Systems Command has given Boeing a $29.9 million contract for Cargo Unmanned Aircraft Systems Services to support the U.S. Marine Corps.
Under the contract, the company will provide two A160T Hummingbird unmanned vehicles, three ground control stations, spares, training and support.
Boeing said the A160Ts are near completion at its facility in Mesa, Ariz.
"We look forward to working with NAVAIR and the Marines to provide this important capability to warfighters on the front lines," said Vic Sweberg, Unmanned Airborne Systems director for Boeing. "The A160T has proven its ability to autonomously deliver cargo to forward operating bases in austere conditions in a demonstration setting, and we are confident in its ability to do the same in battlefield conditions."
The contractor-operated contract is the first for Hummingbirds from the company-funded production line. It calls for a period of predeployment operations at a military facility in the continental United States, followed by options for a six-month deployment to support Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.
