Defense News
Northrop Buys Swift's KillerBee UAV Line.
The Orange County (CA) Business Journal (4/28, Beighley) reported, "Northrop Grumman Corp. has bought the unmanned plane unit of San Clemente-based Swift Engineering Inc." The article pointed out that "the KillerBee planes, renamed the Bat, have wing sizes ranging from six and a half feet to more than 33 feet and are used for military reconnaissance missions." According to the Business Journal, "Swift already is working with Waltham, Mass.-based Raytheon Co. on a potential contract with the Navy and Marines. One of its biggest competitors for the planes is Boeing Co."
Aviation Week (4/28, Warwick) said that the deal came two years after Northrop Grumman and Swift Engineering "failed to reach a business agreement and parted company." Now Northrop Grumman "says it has engaged Swift to continue work on design refinement, product line development, flight test support and manufacturing for the Bat family."
