MAV goes into battle in the hunt for IEDs

I worked on the Manned Ground Vehicles (MGV) of the FCS "system of systems", not this, though some of the "stowage envelopes might have included this.

MAV goes into battle in the hunt for IEDs

Honeywell’s Micro Air Vehicle (MAV) is being deployed in Iraq to help US troops hunt for improvised explosive devices (IED). This is the first time a ducted-fan unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has been used in combat missions.

Developed for the US Army’s Future Combat System (FCS) programme, MAV is designed to be man-pack portable. It operates like a small remote-controlled helicopter and can take off and land vertically without runways or helipads. Information from its electro-optical and infra-red (IR) video cameras relay information back to hand-held terminals on the ground.

Deployment takes less than five minutes, and lifting power for the 13in (325mm) device comes courtesy of an RCV-supplied engine-driven ducted fan. The MAV has a 50kt (90km/h) top speed and an operating ceiling of 10,500ft.




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