Hoverfly Technologies has received a contract from a US Government agency to provide LiveSky tethered drone systems.
Under the $10m sole-source contract, Hoverfly will deliver both the LiveSky Dismounted and LiveSky SkyBox variants.
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The contract also includes the provision of installation, training, and support services.
It has a performance period of five years, including four one-year options.
LiveSky tethered drone is designed to provide aerial monitoring and communications relay solutions.
The tactical and mobile intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) system is equipped with Hoverfly’s ISR sensor payload to enable full-motion 24-hour day / night video.
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By GlobalDataThe company will start deliveries to the US Government in November.
Hoverfly Technologies CEO Rob Topping said: “Hoverfly is honoured to have been selected to provide US Government operators with enhanced situational-awareness, force-protection, and communications-relay capability in this lightweight, low-power, and rapidly deployable solution.
“This important new technology means that our customers can reduce the user burden and operational complexity of aerostats, plus get enhanced mobility when compared to fixed and heavy telescoping mast-based systems.”
The drone system has the capability to provide four simultaneous full-motion video streams.
Operators equipped with mobile devices can view the video streams using the Tactical Awareness Kit (TAK). In addition, video streams can be viewed locally, over networks.
LiveSky uses tactical radios to provide communication relay solutions.
Hoverfly stated that tethered drones enable improved ISR and communications from both manned and unmanned systems.
In a statement, Hoverfly said: “Recent interest in tethered drones by large military vehicle original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) is, in part, driven by procurement requirements of the US Army’s Remote Combat Vehicle (RCV) programme.”
The company states that tethered drones could serve as a sensor and communications payload for the new combat vehicles planned to be acquired under the RCV programme.
