Rafael Armament Development Authority Ltd. launched one of its largest marketing efforts in the US last week for its Protector unmanned naval patrol vehicle to the US Navy and Department of Homeland Security. The Protector is the first boat of its kind in the world.
Rafael USA VP business development Dr. Patrick Bar-Avi, a senior company engineer, told “Globes” that the Protector held its first performance demonstration at Tampa Bay, Florida, for the US Special Operations Command (SOCOM) and other Navy officers.
Bar-Avi said, “We demonstrated the Protector’s capabilities as an important tool for coastal and harbor defense, locating sensitive coastal installations, and intercepting suspicious vessels. The Protector’s potential has not yet been maximized. For the Navy, unmanned ships are like initial unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). Navies worldwide are only now beginning to examine the possible uses of such vehicles, and the possibilities are endless.”
This is the first time that the Protector has been demonstrated in the US. Rafael joined forces with BAE Systems plc (LSE:BA) and Lockheed Martin Corp. (NYSE:LMT) for the Protector’s marketing campaign in the US civilian and military market. “Our partners were a great help in providing customers,” said Bar-Avi.
It is almost impossible for a non-US company to penetrate the US defense market without a partnership agreement with US defense contractors. Rafael’s advantage in the new unmanned patrol boat market is that the Protector is the only operational system of its kind in the world, and is in service with two navies.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes.co.il - on June 25, 2006
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