Jane Edwards
Elbit Systems has introduced a mini unmanned aerial system designed to help small vessels perform maritime intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and target acquisition operations.
The company’s Skylark C UAS has an electro-optical payload, thermal imager, inertial navigation system and a color daylight camera designed for use in daytime and night-time surveillance missions, Elbit Systems said Tuesday.
Elad Aharonson, general manager of ISTAR division at Elbit Systems, said Skylark C will work to help coast guard patrols and other small naval crews to collect mission-critical data and build up their operational capability.
The floating aerial vehicle is based on Elbit Systems’ Skylark I land-based mini UAS and works to help small-scale vessels carry out anti-piracy, border security, counter-terrorism and other special naval missions.
Elbit Systems said users can field and retrieve Skylark C within 15 minutes through the use of a parachute-based recovery platform.
