AW&ST: Bell in Hot Pursuit of VUAS Market

Can there really be that much money in the unmanned vehicle market? I suppose it is possible...

Bell in Hot Pursuit of VUAS Market
Aviation Week & Space Technology 02/06/06
author: Edward H. Phillips

Bell Helicopter Textron is implementing an aggressive plan aimed at positioning the company to offer a broad range of vertical unmanned aerial systems by 2010.

The company is developing two separate and distinct aircraft for vertical unmanned missions--the TR916 and the TR918. The former fulfills a requirement for the U.S. Coast Guard's Deepwater fleet modernization program, while the latter targets both military and commercial customer applications, according to Bob Ellithorpe, executive director of vertical unmanned aerial systems (VUAS).

To help it gain an early foothold in the infant VUAS business, Bell has combined its Deepwater, XworX, business development and advanced concept divisions into one entity "to manage the company's movement into the VUAS industry," Ellithorpe said. Bell officials say there is "tremendous potential" for unmanned vertical takeoff and landing aircraft to provide a myriad of mission capabilities to commercial and military operators. These include surveillance of oil pipelines, electrical power grids, nuclear facilities and national borders, and resupply missions.

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