Boeing Subsidiary Insitu To Build 8 ScanEagle UAVs For Afghanistan

Boeing subsidiary Insitu Inc. has won a $70 million contract to build eight ScanEagle drones for the Afghanistan armed forces.

The US Department of Defense said yesterday that the systems include 65 ScanEagle drones in total, along with spare parts, support equipment, field service support, as well as an in-theatre training facility.

"Insitu Inc., Bingen, Washington, is being awarded a $70,941,310 for the procurement of eight ScanEagle unmanned aircraft systems for the government of Afghanistan," a US DoD statement said.

US and Afghan forces are already using an unspecified number of ScanEagle platforms to support special operations forces in battle against the Taliban and other militant groups.

ScanEagles can carry several different payloads including electro-optical or infrared cameras to take photographs or full-motion video. Their unique ability to stay airborne for hours and be retrieved easily sets it apart from other drones.