Hood River, OR, April 18, 2014 -- Hood Tech Mechanical, supplying the Mark 4 launcher for the Blackjack RQ-21A UAV system, is apparently cruising to certification later this year.

From: Hood Tech Corp Mechanical, Inc., Hood River, Oregon
Date: April 17, 2014
Subject: On Schedule with Initial Operational Capability, Hood Tech Mechanical’s Mark 4 UAV Launcher Continues to Perform in Blackjack RQ-21A System
Contact: Cory Roeseler, Hood Tech Corp Mechanical, Inc., 541 387-2255, [email protected]

According to an article in Jane’s (http://www.janes.com/article/36533/navy-league-2014-usmc-on-track-for-blackjack-ioc-this-year) he RQ-21A UAV system, which features Hood Tech Mechanical’s Mark 4 launcher, is “on track” for initial certification this year. The article states: “The US Marine Corps (USMC) is preparing to declare initial operational capability (IOC) for the … RQ-21A Blackjack unmanned aircraft system (UAS), according to a service official”. “We’re pleased that the Marine Corps have continued the path to full system certification,” said a Hood Tech representative. “We look forward to the system’s certification and to supplying the Marines with our launchers for use on land or at sea.”

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:
Cory Roeseler
Hood Tech
135 Country Club Road, Building A
Hood River, Oregon 97031
541-387-2255
[email protected]
http://www.hoodtech.com