Curtiss-Wright Corporation said Friday that The Boeing Company awarded it a contract to design, develop and integrate the weapons bay hoist systems for the new Joint Unmanned Combat Air System (J-UCAS) X-45 program.
The J-UCAS X-45 demonstrators are being developed by Boeing Phantom Works to demonstrate the military utility and operational value of UCAV systems for the United States Air Force and Navy.
Curtiss-Wright expects to deliver development hardware in early 2005. The first flight of the new X-45 is scheduled for early 2006.
Meanwhile, Phantom Works continues to flight test the X-45A technology demonstrators to verify the core functionality of the software necessary for the USAF/USN missions.
“Because of their stealth capabilities and precision-guided weaponry, UCAVs are considered the future of air defense,” said Martin Benante, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Curtiss-Wright.
“We’re proud to have been selected by Boeing as a strategic partner in developing this new technology and look forward to seeing it integrated into the military’s other systems.”
