TUCSON, Ariz., Sept. 27, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration used six Raytheon Company
(NYSE: RTN) Coyote® unmanned aerial vehicles to track and model
Hurricane Maria. Launched from a NOAA WP-3D Orion hurricane hunter
aircraft, the Coyotes flew directly into the storm, giving
researchers an unprecedented view of Maria from a safe
distance.
Developed for the military, Coyote is a small, expendable UAV
that's air- or ground-launched into environments too dangerous for
manned aircraft. The system can fly for more than an hour and up to
50 miles from its host aircraft.
"Raytheon technology is enabling hurricane hunters to understand
storm behavior in new and better ways," said Dr. Thomas Bussing, Raytheon vice president of
Advanced Missile Systems. "Our expendable Coyote UAVs are
delivering vital information about these potentially deadly
storms—and that can help save lives."
Navigating Maria's winds of greater than 100 miles per hour, the
Coyotes gathered and transmitted storm information directly to the
National Hurricane Center. NOAA scientists are evaluating the
data to better understand Hurricane Maria and other storms like
it.
"NOAA is investing in these unmanned aircraft and other
technologies to increase weather observations designed to improve
the accuracy of our hurricane forecasts," said Dr. Joe Cione, NOAA hurricane researcher and chief
scientist for the Coyote program. "The Coyotes collected critical,
continuous observations in the lower part of the hurricane, an area
impossible to reach with manned aircraft."
Researchers can also fly Coyotes throughout the storms,
revisiting key locations inside hurricanes to obtain the most
robust data possible.
The Coyote system is one of Raytheon's family of high-tech
weather forecasting technology, including the Visible Infrared
Imaging Radiometer Suite instrument aboard NOAA's Suomi NPP
spacecraft, the common ground system for the Joint Polar Satellite
System, and the Advanced Weather Interactive Processing
System, a powerful forecast toolkit that helps meteorologists make
sense of the massive amounts of weather data that modern sensors
collect.
About Raytheon
Raytheon Company, with 2016 sales of $24
billion and 63,000 employees, is a technology and innovation
leader specializing in defense, civil government and cybersecurity
solutions. With a history of innovation spanning 95 years, Raytheon
provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration,
C5I™ products and services, sensing, effects, and mission
support for customers in more than 80 countries. Raytheon is
headquartered in Waltham,
Massachusetts. Follow us on Twitter.
Media Contact
John B.
Patterson
+1.520.440.2194
rmspr@raytheon.com
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SOURCE Raytheon Company