Dr. Delores Etter, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition, will kick off the 4th bi-annual Unmanned Systems Demonstration August 6, 2007 with a 25-minute media availability at 9 a.m. to address questions regarding the Navy’s Unmanned Combat Air System technical demonstration effort as well as general questions relating to the role and importance of unmanned aerial systems in the future of Naval warfare.

Co-hosting the availability will be Rear Adm. Tim Heely, the Program Executive Officer for Strike Weapons and Unmanned Aviation. Navy UAS program managers will be on hand as well.

The unmanned systems demonstration will be held at the Webster Field Annex of Naval Air Station, Patuxent River, Md.

Media representatives attending the availability should plan to arrive at the Webster Field gate no later than 8:30 a.m.

Approximately 30 unmanned air and ground systems will participate in what is considered to be the largest unmanned systems demonstration in history.

During the six-hour event, spectators will view the latest in technically mature unmanned systems working in concert under a number of operational scenarios, including waterborne hostile identification, Coast Guard interception, perimeter security, urban reconnaissance, and clashes between enemy and friendly Marine Corps forces.

A large, stadium-style, outdoor video screen will allow the attendees to see the same imagery as the UAV operators while the various vehicles are being demonstrated.

The event is sponsored by the Program Executive Office for Strike Weapons and Unmanned Aviation, in conjunction with the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, as a kickoff to AUVSI’s “Unmanned Systems North America 2007” conference, held at the Washington Convention Center, Washington, DC, Aug. 6-9.

The event will be open to AUVSI conference exhibitors, registered full-conference attendees and specially invited guests. Attendees of the event should expect higher than usual levels of security.

Media representatives interested in attending should call John Milliman at 301-995-7410, or email to [email protected] no later than 4 pm, Thursday Aug.2 to register for access to the show. Media desiring to use transmitting equipment will need to know the frequencies used by their equipment in order to coordinate their use during the show.

For more information, please visit the demo website at http://uav.navair.navy.mil
or visit the PEO website at www.strikenet.js.mil and click on PMA-263.

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