JANE'S DEFENCE WEEKLY - FEBRUARY 14, 2007
BY DAMIAN KEMP Jane's Aviation Editor

Israel's Controp Precision Technologies unveiled the latest member of its STAbilised Miniature Payload (STAMP) family for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), U-STAMP (featuring an uncooled infra-red sensor), at the Aero India 2007 show in Bangalore on 7-11 February.

Work on the new payload a further development of the high-resolution colour D-STAMP and D-STAMP 3G and the low-light L-STAMP was revealed at the Eurosatory exhibition in Paris in 2006.

U-STAMP is described by the company as a miniature, lightweight, electro-optical, stabilised airborne sensor for UAVs. U-STAMP weighs 900 g and is operational at heights up to 2,000 ft (609 m) and speeds of 60 kt.

The payload can be nose or belly-mounted and is stabilised to a roll of greater than 170? and pitch of +70? to -40?. Controp Chief Executive Officer Shlomo Nir said the payload had been sold to manufacturers of small UAVs and was ideally suited for platforms such as the Rafael Armament Development Authority Skylite, Elbit Systems Skylark I/II and Aeronautics Defense Systems Orbiter mini-UAV.

"The U-STAMP can identify a person at a range of up to 500 m; it can provide location information using an in-built GPS/INS system and so can act as a targeting system as well as a reconnaissance platform," Nir said.

"It is able to reduce sensor-to-shooter time and was demonstrated during the most recent Lebanon conflict."

Controp STAMPS on mini-UAV payloads  (idr.janes.com, 06/07/06)