Orbital ships first production UAV engines

Orbital Corporation Limited (ASX: OEC) (“Orbital” or “the Company”) is pleased to announce first shipment of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (“UAV”) engines and propulsion systems to Insitu Inc. (“Insitu”), a subsidiary of The Boeing Company (“Boeing”).

In August 2015, Orbital announced an Insitu order for UAV engine and propulsion systems with a contract value of A$12 million (see ASX Release “New $12 million UAV Order” 26 August 2015). This order covers Insitu near term requirements, while the parties negotiate a Long Term Supply Agreement.

To fulfil this order, Orbital has developed a world class supplier base along with state-of-the-art production and test facilities at their Balcatta, Western Australia headquarters. This first production shipment is a key milestone for Orbital’s UAVE division and is the culmination of several years of extensive Insitu-Orbital design, development and testing to create a globally leading award winning engine and propulsion system to power Insitu’s latest ScanEagle UAV.

Mr. Ryan M. Hartman, President and CEO of Insitu, said “The Insitu-Orbital propulsion system sets a new standard for small UAV propulsion systems and delivers high performance, increased endurance, and enhanced reliability, reducing life-cycle costs for our customers.”

Orbital’s CEO and Managing Director, Mr. Terry Stinson, stated “This first shipment from our Balcatta facility is a key milestone confirming Orbital’s complete capability including design, development, validation, and now manufacturing of a new benchmark quality product for our customer.”