Roke's Miniature Radar Altimeter Supports Sea-Skimming UAV Test

ROMSEY, England, December 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

Roke Manor Research Ltd (Roke), a Chemring Group company, has supplied its Miniature Radar Altimeter (MRA) in a successful flight test of a sea-skimming UAV designed to mimic the threat of an incoming missile.

UAV Navigation, a developer of flight-control avionics for unmanned aircraft, led the test on a range used by the Spanish Navy. Roke's MRA Type 1 was integrated into its LCAP autopilot system, enabling the aircraft to accurately determine its height above the sea.

The flight test involved a SCRAB aerial target UAV, flying at cruise speeds only a few meters over the water which followed its flight path without the intervention of a human pilot.

Paul Webb, Unmanned Systems Business Sector Manager at Roke, said: "UAV Navigation chose Roke's MRA as it remains the most technologically capable in its class. It has been developed for easy installation into all major UAV platforms, and provides outstanding capability at low-cost. Importantly for this particular test, was that the MRA was developed to meet the IP67 rating, which is essential when recovering the drone from the surface of the sea."

Roke's lightweight MRA maximises payload and provides continuous accurate measurements in the most challenging flying situations such as misty or dusty conditions. This ensures missions can continue regardless of the environmental conditions.

About Roke http://www.roke.co.uk

Roke, based in Romsey, Hampshire, is the principal electronics research and development centre of Chemring Group Plc. Founded in 1956, Roke is one of the UK's leading suppliers of innovative solutions and contract R&D, pioneering developments in electronic sensors, networks and communications technology. It employs 450 staff and has over 430 patents to its name.

About Chemring http://www.chemring.co.uk

• Chemring is a manufacturing business with facilities in eight countries selling high technology electronics and energetic products to over eighty countries.
• The Company has a diverse portfolio of products protecting military people and platforms against a constantly changing threat.
• Operating in high margin, niche markets with short product development timescales, Chemring has the agility to rapidly react to urgent customer needs.
• Chemring adopts a balanced strategy of organic growth and small bolt-on acquisitions, and maintains balanced geographic and market profiles, with a growing presence in non-NATO countries.
• Strong R&D investment for new products and improvements in technology continually allow Chemring to expand its addressable markets.

Visit the website at http://www.Roke.co.uk