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BMDO To Display HALE High-Altitude, Long-Endurance Solar-Electric Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

The Ballistic Missile Defense Organization will showcase the world's first high-altitude, long-endurance solar-electric unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) on October 5, 1993, at Edwards AFB, California. This UAV, known as RAPTOR/PATHFINDER, aims to operate like an atmospheric satellite and could enhance military and commercial capabilities. The program includes plans for low-altitude test flights and fully solar-powered tests in 1994, with potential applications in missile detection and defense.

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18 views3 pages

BMDO To Display HALE High-Altitude, Long-Endurance Solar-Electric Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

The Ballistic Missile Defense Organization will showcase the world's first high-altitude, long-endurance solar-electric unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) on October 5, 1993, at Edwards AFB, California. This UAV, known as RAPTOR/PATHFINDER, aims to operate like an atmospheric satellite and could enhance military and commercial capabilities. The program includes plans for low-altitude test flights and fully solar-powered tests in 1994, with potential applications in missile detection and defense.

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FFE CA 7 4392 $274392 01 94-1993 0816 83 NEWS RELEASE eg. United States Air Force i AIR FORCE FLIGHT TEST CENTER, OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS (AFMC), some EDWARDS AFB, CA 93523-5000 (805) 277-3510 Oct. 1, 1993 BMDO TO DISPLAY HALE Edwards AFB, Calif. ‘The Ballistic Missile Defense Organization will display the world’s first high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) solar-electric unmanned aerial: vehicle Oct. 5, 8:30 a.m. here. This partially’ solar-powered vehicle will begin a series of low-altitude test flights during the October/November time frame over Rogers Dry Lake Bed here with support from the NASA/Dryden Research Center here. Fully solar- powered flight tests are planned at the same location in 1994 The goal of the program is to develop a solar-electric UAV that can fly at extremely high altitudes for weeks to months at a time, operating much like an atmospheric satellite. Such UAVs could provide the United States with a broad range of military, civil and commercial capabilities not now in existence In 1992, BMDO became very interested in ways to counter ballistic missiles in the early stages of flight. HALE UAVs were identified as candidate platforms for missile launch detection and as carriers for lightweight antimissile weapons. ‘The aircraft, called the RAPTOR/PATHFINDER, was built in 1983 at ‘AeroEnvironment, Inc., Monrovia, Calif, by a team led by Dr. Paul MacCready Tt was initially built and flown as a battery-powered UAV. cv - ploee — est? FeR TCH EMURRDS OE CA eos 277 azsz s27a382 ‘The PATHFINDER is one of two experimental UAVs being considered for theater missions. The other is a gasoline-powered variant called the RAPTOR/DEMONSTRATOR which is built by Scaled Composites, Inc., Mojave, Calif., under the leadership of Burt Rutan. Lt. Col. Dale Tietz, USAF, the BMDO program manager for RAPTOR/PATHFINDER, will be on hand to brief reporters on the aircraft's capabilities and its applicability to BMDO missions. For more information about access to Edwards AFB and the display site, please contact Dottie Spiegelberg (media relations), Air Force Flight Test Center Public Affairs, (805) 277-4127 oo ToTeL #02 805 277 A992 3274992 PAGE.002 oct

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