A pilotless F-16 | QF-16 Target Drone Thales has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Qatar to assist in the development of...
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| A pilotless F-16 | QF-16 Target Drone |
Thales has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Qatar to assist in the development of an Optionally Piloted Vehicle – Aircraft (OPV-A), including an end to end training solution.
The proposes OPV-A is a high performance Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) system.
The OPV-A will be a hybrid between a conventional aircraft and an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS). They are able to fly with or without a pilot on board the aircraft. Unimpeded by a human's physiological limitations, an OPV will be able to operate under more adverse conditions and/or for greater endurance times. Retaining on-board controls, the OPV can operate as a conventional aircraft for manned missions.
The OPV-A airframe, to be selected by the Qatar Armed Forces, will be integrated with a mission systems capability to enable the optionally piloted capability.
