In the Business of Military Air Drop, David Still Beats Goliath

    GILBERT, Ariz., Nov. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- You might think that the Yuma,
 Arizona desert is the last place anyone would find an assortment of
 revolutionary, futuristic technology. But at a secure, remote facility
 located 90 miles north on the US Army's Yuma Proving Ground, the sweltering
 sun rose last week on nearly 400 military employees and contractors
 dedicated to pushing the limits of military air drop operations at the US
 Army's Precision Air Drop Technology Conference and Demonstration.
     This year the company to watch was STARA Technologies, Inc. a Gilbert,
 Arizona based company in a weight range of its own that is applying an
 entirely new spin on tactical air drop operations. "What makes STARA's
 Mosquito guided parachute so unique is not only its weight class but its
 mission," comments President Colin McCavitt. "The big boys are here to show
 how many pounds of supplies they can get on the ground for the least amount
 of money. STARA takes the opposite view, it's not how much we drop, it's
 what we drop." At PATCAD 2007 STARA demonstrated two products that were
 specifically designed to support highly sensitive Special Forces operations
 overseas, a 150 pound resupply bundle and a five pound fake rock.
     STARA's Chief Engineer Glen Bailey explains, "On the outside it's a
 rock but on the inside it can be a sensor designed to listen for enemy
 troops or sniff chemical weapons. It blends in with the local terrain and
 we just showed the world that we can put it anywhere we want without any
 human intervention."
     And put it anywhere they did. During PATCAD 2007 STARA threw 3 five
 pound fake rock sensors out of C-130 aircraft flying at 10,000 feet and
 more than two miles away. The fake rocks landed within 10, 7 and 3 meters
 from the desired impact point.
     "These results are overwhelming," comments Joe McDaniel, STARA's lead
 mechanical engineer on the air drop team. "To put it into perspective, the
 next time you are on a commercial airplane and the pilot rings the bell
 indicating that the aircraft is at 10,000 feet and you are allowed to turn
 on your electronic devices, look out the window and pick any house below
 and remember that STARA can put a sensor on it from where you are right
 now."
     Unofficially STARA has secured first, second and third closest
 distances during PATCAD and more than likely has the record for closest
 landing for every PATCAD event conducted before this. An amazing feat for a
 ten person company that receives zero funding from the US Army Air Drop
 Office. McCavitt puts it best, "STARA brought the 3, 7 and the 10 to Yuma."
     And finally the message has been heard. STARA was just awarded their
 first contract with the US Army to expand the state of miniature air drop.
 Through the US military Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) office
 STARA will help the US Army deliver smart sensors to the battlefield to
 help the soldier on the ground.
     Press Contact:
     Colin McCavitt, President
     STARA Technologies, Inc.
     Tel: (480) 850 1555
     Fax: (480) 850 1050
     colin@MiniAirdrop.com
     This release was issued through eReleases(TM). For more information,
 visit http://www.ereleases.com.
 
 

SOURCE STARA Technologies, Inc.