Hood River, OR, June 27, 2014 -- The US Marines are deploying five RQ-21A Blackjack systems to Afghanistan using an early operational capability model. Those systems feature Hood Tech Vision’s UAV imagers.

From: Hood Tech Corp Vision, Inc., Hood River, Oregon
Date: June 26, 2014
Subject: RQ-21A Deploys to Afghanistan with Hoof Tech Vision’s UAV Sensors
Contact: Dr. Andy von Flotow, Hood Tech Corp Vision, Inc., 541-387-2288, [email protected]

The RQ-21A, dubbed the Blackjack, has deployed to Afghanistan (http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/blackjack-uas-deploys-to-afghanistan-400026/). The system features Hood Tech Vision’s electro-optical and IR sensors. Two years after the US Marines took delivery of the first two systems, five systems are deploying using an early operational capability model.

As noted in the article, “...the 61.2-kg-sized RQ-21A is capable of performing many…missions. It carries payloads weighing up to 11.3 kg in an internal bay, with (Hood Tech Vision’s) electro-optic and infrared cameras…as standard payloads.”

The article goes on to note that the US Marines intend “…to operate 32 RQ-21A systems. The (US Navy) plans to acquire 25 RQ-21As.”

When Hood Tech began producing 800-gm video-camera turrets in 1998, it enabled an entirely new class of small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Hood Technology Vision now designs and manufactures imaging and video processing systems at the highest level of the National Imagery Interpretability Rating Scale (NIIRS): level 9. Hood Tech Vision matches embedded stabilization technology with electro-optical lenses that zoom up to 200 times. This results in a field of view of 0.3 degrees, in a package that weighs from less than one to six kg.

Hood Tech Vision imagers consume as little as one-fifth the power common for such systems, increasing the power budget to other sensors for Multi-INT missions. Designed for manned and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), boats, land vehicles, and towed and stationary mounts, the reliability and utility of Hood Tech’s daylight and thermal imaging products has been demonstrated during 800,000 hours of use in a variety of temperatures, humidity, dust, smoke, haze, and other environmental factors (http://www.hoodtechvision.com).

Dr. Andy von Flotow founded Hood Technology in Hood River, Oregon in 1992. Along with the design and manufacture of stabilized imaging systems, Hood Tech:

Develops, tests, and manufactures launch and retrieval systems for UAVs
Operates controlled launch and quiet wind tunnel test facilities
Monitors blade vibrations in industrial turbines and jet engines, including diagnostic methods that predict possible future failures.

The Hood Tech web site is: www.hoodtech.com

Contact:
Andy von Flotow
Hood Tech
1750 Country Club Rd.,
Hood River, OR 97031
541-387-2288
[email protected]
http://www.hoodtech.com