Hood River, OR, United States, December 13, 2013 -- The US Secretary of Defense, Chuck Hagel, lauds the USS Ponce, which features Hood Tech Vision’s UAV imagers. "It's as flexible and agile as any platform that we have," he said.

From: Hood Tech Corp Vision, Inc., Hood River, Oregon
Date: December 12, 2013
Subject: Secretary of Defense finds USS Ponce, with Hood Tech Vision’s UAV Imagers, “Agile and Flexible”
Contact: Dr. Andy von Flotow, Hood Tech Corp Vision, Inc., 541-387-2288, [email protected]

According to a recent article (http://www.newser.com/article/daags4fg3/hagel-tours-warship-showcasing-us-commitment-to-gulf-region-in-wake-of-iran-deal.html) the USS Ponce, a converted amphibious transport ship, is “…as flexible and agile as any platform that we have…” Designed as a floating staging platform for special operations, the USS Ponce employs a popular UAV that in turn uses Hood Tech imagers to provide the intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities necessary for successful special operations. Using both electro-optical and infrared imagers, the Hood Tech data provide real-time information to keep troops safe.

Hood Tech Vision’s imagers come in several flexible packages (http://www.hoodtechvision.com/products.html), including mid-wavelength infrared and optical choices over a variety of focal lengths and zoom capabilities. Using, modifying, and creating the latest technologies, Hood Tech Vision staff solve problems by listening and responding to their customers.

When Hood Tech began producing 800-gm video-camera turrets in 1998, it enabled an entirely new class of small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Hood Technology Vision now designs and manufactures imaging and video processing systems at the highest level of the National Imagery Interpretability Rating Scale (NIIRS): level 9. Hood Tech matches improved stabilization technology with electro-optical lenses that zoom up to 170 times. This results in a field of view of 0.3 degrees, in a package that weighs less than six kg. Designed for manned and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), boats, land vehicles, and stationary mounts, the reliability and utility of Hood Tech’s daylight and thermal imaging products has been demonstrated over more than 750,000 hours of use in a variety of temperatures, humidity, dust, smoke, haze, and other environmental factors (http://www.hoodtechvision.com).

Dr. Andy von Flotow founded Hood Technology in Hood River, Oregon in 1992. Along with the design and manufacture of stabilized imaging systems, Hood Tech:

Develops, tests, and manufactures launch and retrieval systems for UAVs
Operates controlled launch and quiet wind tunnel test facilities
Monitors blade vibrations in industrial turbines and jet engines, including diagnostic methods that predict possible future failures.

The Hood Tech web site is: www.hoodtech.com

Contact:
Andy von Flotow
HoodTech
3100 Cascade
Hood River, OR 97031
5413872288
[email protected]
http://www.hoodtech.com