Lockheed Martin revealed a new small unmanned aircraft system (UAS) at the Defence and Security Equipment International Exhibition (DSEI) recently held in London.
Lockheed Martin designed and developed the UAS, known as OUTRIDER, in collaboration with Wirth Research at Lockheed Martin’s facility in Havant, England.
OUTRIDER is designed for use in environments in which conventional, larger unmanned air systems are not practical. It measures only four inches wide, weighs just 1.7 kilograms and can travel up to 50 knots. The UAS can be operated remotely or function autonomously. It includes a high-definition TV and infrared camera.
“We are proud to offer OUTRIDER which has been designed and built in the UK for the international market,” Paul Livingston, vice president and group managing director at Lockheed Martin UK – Integrated Systems, said. “It provides secure leading edge situational awareness capabilities in its class for ground, surface, air or Subsurface operational environments and can be launched at the press of a button.”
The OUTRIDER is designed with export possibilities and can be supplied in an entirely International Traffic in Arms Regulations-free (ITAR) configuration to address both commercial and military market needs.
“We’re excited and very proud of our collaboration with Lockheed Martin UK on the OUTRIDER project,” Nick Wirth, founder and CEO of Wirth Research, said. “Performance enhancement and innovation are fundamental to our motor sport heritage at Wirth Research. Transferring this approach from racing, combined with our rapid concept development and aero expertise, has been key to successfully meeting the technical challenges set by the Lockheed Martin team. OUTRIDER is the leading edge result.”