BINGEN, Wash.–(Business Wire)–
Insitu Inc. signed a cooperative research development agreement (CRDA) yesterday
with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), whereby Insitu will provide a
ScanEagle unmanned aircraft system (UAS) and related support hardware and data.
The FAA will conduct research needed to guide the development of recommendations
for integrating unmanned aircraft systems into the national airspace.
“The FAA has a well-equipped laboratory and resources at the technical center
that will allow them to fully evaluate our Tier II system,” said Insitu Vice
President, Commercial Business Development, Paul McDuffee. “Through the CRDA,
the FAA will have an opportunity to better understand UAS design, construction
and functionality. It will also begin determining differences in how an air
traffic controller manages an unmanned aircraft versus a manned aircraft by
integrating the ScanEagle system with existing FAA air traffic control
simulation capabilities.”
The research will be managed by the Research and Technology Development Office
and conducted at the William J. Hughes Technical Center in Atlantic City, NJ. As
part of the agreement, Insitu will train FAA pilots and support staff to fly and
maintain the system. Insitu will also supply documentation related to the
ScanEagle UAS, including an open invitation for FAA personnel to visit Insitu to
see first-hand how the company develops and manufactures its products.
ScanEagle has proven itself in military operations particularly in providing
intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and has flown more than 320,000
hours performing such missions. However, the ScanEagle can have practical
benefits in civil applications as well. For example, ScanEagle, with its 24-hour
endurance capability, can be useful in search and rescue operations, for fire
and flood monitoring and for guiding evacuation efforts during hazardous weather
conditions, particularly when flying a manned aircraft would be too risky or
expensive.
Insitu Inc., located in Bingen, Wash., is a wholly owned independent subsidiary
of The Boeing Company. Insitu designs, develops and manufactures UAS and
provides associated services for commercial and military applications. With a
small footprint and expeditionary focus for both land and sea operations, the
company`s family of UAS solutions is serving the needs of the global defense
community. To date, these systems have accumulated more than 320,000 combat
flight hours and 40,000 sorties. For more information, visit www.insitu.com.
Insitu
Jill Vacek, 509-493-6439
jill.vacek@insitu.com
Copyright Business Wire 2010
