General Dynamics Armament and technical Products (GDATP), an operating unit of General Dynamics (NYSE GD) and Elbit Systems of America, LLC a subsidiary of Elbit Systems Ltd. (NASDAQ:ESLT) are teaming to offer unmanned systems solutions to the U.S. military and government agencies. The companies have formed a joint venture named UAS Dynamics, LLC, located in Fort Mill, South Carolina. Elbit Systems has already established with Thales UK a similar JV, to pursue UVS opportnities in Britain, a move that proved instrumental in winning the Watchkeeper program by Thales.
Among the programs targeted for the new JV is the recently announced U.S. Marine Corps’ Small Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System (STUAS)/Tier II program. UAS Dynamics will be offering a wide and mature line of UAS products, from hand-held and tactical level systems to medium altitude, long-endurance level systems that have accumulated more than 150,000 operational flight hours to date, from the combat-proven Hermes 450, the most widely used Israeli UAV, through the ultra-quiet, electrically powered Skylark II Small UAV.
The company is also offering two new platforms, the enhanced man-portable Skylark LE system recently selected to equip the Israel Army infantry battalions, and the Hermes 90, ‘quietly’ launched at the AUSA exhibition last year. These new platforms are considered among several platforms the JV could be offering to the U.S. Marines.
The new JV will be adapting those proven designs to incorporate new technologies that use U.S. engineering, technology, manufacturing and logistics resources to rapidly field and satisfy evolving U.S. requirements.
