Hood River, OR, December 18, 2013 -- The US Navy’s Ponce is a “flexible and agile” success, according to US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, thanks to such elements as Hood Tech’s Mark 4 launcher.

From: Hood Tech Corp Mechanical, Inc., Hood River, Oregon

Date: December 17, 2013

Subject: Hood Tech’s Mark 4 Launcher Contributes to “Agile and Flexible” USS Ponce

Contact: Cory Roeseler, Hood Tech Corp Mechanical, Inc., 541 387-2255, [email protected]

According to a recent report (http://www.newser.com/article/daags4fg3/hagel-tours-warship-showcasing-us-commitment-to-gulf-region-in-wake-of-iran-deal.html) US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel has called the USS Ponce “…as flexible and agile as any platform that we have…" The USS Ponce is a “…former amphibious transport ship that was retrofitted to become a floating staging base.” Featuring a popular UAV that employs Hood Tech’s Mark 4 Launcher to become airborne, the Ponce also supports special operations warfare personnel.

The Mark 4 launches UAVs in the 30-130 pound weight range. It uses corrosion-resistant components to survive the marine environment, and receives electric power either from the ship or from trailer-mounted generators (see www.hoodtechmechanical.com). Its small footprint allows for flexible shipboard use, and the Mark 4 is extremely portable, including movement and positioning by hand.

When in 2002 Hood Tech began producing innovative UAV launchers and retrieval systems for small UAVs, those innovations enabled the elimination of runways for launch and retrieval. This freed aircraft for shipboard use, for deployment in irregular or disrupted landscapes, and for other difficult locations. Showing their ruggedness and reliability, Hood Tech launchers have initiated tens of thousands of flights under the extreme environments of combat in Iraq and Afghanistan and aboard ships in the oceans around the globe.

Dr. Andy von Flotow founded Hood Technology in Hood River, Oregon in 1992. In addition to the design and manufacture of launch systems, Hood Technology:

Provides zip test services for pre-flight safety verification of experimental aircraft and components.

Owns and maintains a silent wind tunnel for measuring UAV engine and prop noise in accordance with MILSTD1474.

Develops, tests, and manufactures stabilized imaging systems for a variety of UAVs
Monitors blade vibrations in industrial turbines and jet engines, a diagnostic method for predicting possible future failures.

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

Contact:
Andy von Flotow
Hood Tech
135 Country Club Road, Building A
Hood River, OR 97031
541-387-2255
[email protected]
http://www.hoodtech.com