EADS wins multi-million contract for the upgrade of CL-289 reconnaissance drone
Friedrichshafen, 22 January 2001
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The reconnaissance drone systems of the type CL-289, which provided impressive reconnaissance images in more than 400 missions during the peacekeeping missions in Bosnia and Kosovo, will be made fit for the future by the modern electronics of EADS, the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company. NAMSA (Nato Maintenance and Supply Agency) awarded the contract for improvement and upgrade of the German and French CL-289 drone to Dornier GmbH - a group company of EADS. The AOLOS (ADA Operational Onboard Software) project has a contract volume of more than DM 53 million and will be implemented by the Business Unit EADS Defence Electronics. This was reported by Dornier GmbH on Wednesday in Friedrichshafen.
Dr. Stefan Zoller, CEO of Dornier GmbH and Head of the Business Unit Defence Electronics: "In the AOLOS project, a total number of 140 drones will be equipped in our Airborne Systems Unit. This will ensure the operational readiness of the CL-289 reconnaissance systems for further years".
The CL-289 drone has been in service with the German and French army since 1992 and is currently the only unmanned imaging reconnaissance system in these countries. The drones are equipped with an infrared line scanner and an optical camera and fly over the area to be surveyed on a previously programmed flight path.
Johann Heitzmann, Member of the Executive Committee of Dornier GmbH and Vice-President Airborne Systems: The AOLOS software development programme, which was launched as early as 1996, has been designed so that the CL-289 is fit for further upgrades.
The placed series contract covers the modernisation of the flight software (Ada) in order to ensure the maintenance of the drones, an improved navigation accuracy with the help of GPS, and a more precise method for barometric altitude measuring. These measures improve the reliability of CL-289 and considerably reduce the maintenance effort.
EADS was formed from the merger of DaimlerChrysler Aerospace AG, the French Aerospatiale Matra and the Spanish Construcciones Aeronáuticas and is one of the world's three leading aerospace companies.
Friedrichshafen, 24 January 2001
For further information:
Business Unit Defence Electronics and Telecommunications
Michael Hartwig
Tel:+49(0)7545 8-9124, Fax -8-5888
