WASHINGTON, D.C., 11 Aug. 2009. L-3's Mobius, an optionally piloted aircraft system built by L-3 Communications, made its first public flight at the 5th Biennial Unmanned Systems Demonstration hosted by the U.S. Navy's Program Executive Office for Strike Weapons and Unmanned Aviation, in coordination with the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) at Patuxent River Naval Air Station's Webster Field Annex.

The Mobius, which supports low- through medium-altitude, long-endurance operations in both manned and unmanned configurations, is based upon a Federal Aviation Administration-certificated design. Its aerodynamic design and carbon composite construction supports in-flight missions lasting up to 24 hours while carrying a payload of 1,000 pounds, in addition to fuel.

"Through the introduction of Mobius we are offering a platform that delivers operational performance at a significantly greater value than other aircraft in its class," says Todd Gautier, senior vice president of business development for L-3's Sensors and Simulation Group. "The speed, endurance, range, and payload capacity of this proven platform enables it to meet a wide range of critical unmanned aircraft intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and expanded mission requirements."

Mobius has been configured with L-3 Wescam's high-performance MX-15 EO/IR turret in a retractable configuration, L-3 Geneva's flightTEK fully autonomous flight control system, and L-3 Communications Systems West's mini-TCDL datalink to provide secure, anti-jam, anti-spoof encrypted communications. Mobius also is interoperable with the L-3 Rover and VideoScout systems.