- Puma AE hand-launched unmanned aircraft
system is scouting the ice shelf ahead of the Coast Guard’s Polar
Star, supporting critical ice-breaking mission to resupply McMurdo
Station in Antarctica
- First time an unmanned aircraft system
has been used to assist Coast Guard in navigating Ross Sea - avoids
putting crew and costly helicopters at risk
In a development that takes the life-saving capabilities of
small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) to one of the most remote and
unforgiving regions on earth, AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVAV)
today announced it and a team from the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have been contracted to provide
the U.S. Coast Guard ice breaker Polar Star with a RQ-20A Puma™ AE
unmanned aircraft system and a flight crew for the annual joint
“Operation Deep Freeze,” the military component of the larger,
civilian-managed U.S. Antarctic Program to re-supply the National
Science Foundation’s McMurdo Station. The Operation Deep Freeze
joint team departed Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, on December 30,
2015 and reached McMurdo Station on January 18, 2016.
This Smart News Release features multimedia.
View the full release here:
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The United States Coast Guard Polar Star
icebreaker near Antarctica as viewed from the AeroVironment Puma
small unmanned aircraft system during operation Deep Freeze 2016
(Photo: Business Wire)
“Operation Deep Freeze is one of the U.S. military’s most
complex peacetime missions due to the harsh Antarctic environment,”
said Kirk Flittie, AeroVironment vice president and general manager
of its Unmanned Aircraft Systems business segment.
“AeroVironment’s Puma AE is delivering vital advanced scouting
intelligence to help the Coast Guard’s Polar Star conduct
ice-breaking operations in the treacherous waters of the Ross Sea
more safely and efficiently without putting pilots and costly
helicopters at risk.”
Flittie added that updates, video and photography during the
mission will be posted on AeroVironment’s Facebook page as
connectivity permits.
Puma is lightweight, easy to pack and deploy, and can operate
off any ship without modifying the vessel. During Operation Deep
Freeze, AeroVironment personnel are employing its new Autonomous
Recovery System to capture Puma in a portable net on its return to
the ship. Puma also can be recovered from the sea as a result of
its waterproof design.
The Puma AE weighs 13.5 pounds, operates for more than 210
minutes, typically at a range of up to 15 kilometers, and delivers
live, streaming color and infrared video as well as laser
illumination from its pan-tilt-zoom Mantis i25 AE gimbaled payload.
Launched by hand and capable of landing on the ground or in fresh
or salt water, the Puma AE provides portability and flexibility for
infantry, commercial, littoral or maritime operations.
AeroVironment’s small UAS, including Raven, Wasp, Puma and
Shrike VTOL, are uniquely professional grade, proven with more than
one million operating hours and used extensively for real-world
operations in some of the harshest environments around the globe.
They provide high-quality ISR, geospatial and multispectral
information and 3-D engineering data for a multitude of missions in
many fields, including precision agriculture, energy,
transportation and utility.
“AeroVironment’s proven small UAS deliver critical information
that allows people to make better decisions, even in the harshest
conditions – enabling them to move forward with confidence,”
Flittie said. “Moreover, Puma AE offers significant cost-saving
advantages compared to available alternatives.”
Operation Deep Freeze is a U.S. military operation in support of
the United States Antarctic Program, which is managed by the
National Science Foundation.
AeroVironment received the contract from ADS, Inc. on behalf of
the Coast Guard and is collaborating with NOAA to provide the
requested services.
About AeroVironment Small UAS
RQ-11B Raven®, RQ-12 Wasp®, RQ-20A Puma™ and Shrike VTOL™
comprise AeroVironment’s Family of Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems.
Operating with a common ground control system (GCS), this Family of
Systems provides increased capability to the warfighter that can
give ground commanders the option of selecting the appropriate
aircraft based on the type of mission to be performed. This
increased capability has the potential to provide significant force
protection and force multiplication benefits to small tactical
units and security personnel. AeroVironment provides logistics
services worldwide to ensure a consistently high level of
operational readiness and provides mission services for customers
requiring only the information its small UAS produce. AeroVironment
has delivered thousands of new and replacement small unmanned air
vehicles to customers within the United States and to more than 30
international governments.
The Puma AE small UAS comprises one component of AeroVironment’s
advanced, turnkey data collection, processing and delivery solution
employed to provide commercial customers with engineering-quality
information, on demand, across multiple industries such as energy,
agriculture, transportation and utilities.
About AeroVironment
AeroVironment is a technology solutions provider that designs,
develops, produces, supports and operates an advanced portfolio of
Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and electric transportation
solutions. The company’s electric-powered, hand-launched unmanned
aircraft systems generate and process data to deliver powerful
insight, on demand, to people and enterprises engaged in military,
public safety and commercial activities around the world. Global
Observer® is a hybrid-electric, stratospheric UAS designed to
provide affordable, persistent reconnaissance and communication
over any location on the globe. The Switchblade® tactical missile
system enables the infantry squad and other customers with
increased lethality, reach and force protection through its rapid
deployment, direct fire and collateral damage avoidance
capabilities. AeroVironment’s electric transportation solutions
include a comprehensive suite of electric vehicle (EV) charging
systems, installation and network services for consumers,
automakers, utilities and government agencies, power cycling and
test systems for EV developers and industrial electric vehicle
charging systems for commercial fleets. More information about
AeroVironment is available at www.avinc.com.
About ADS, Inc.
ADS, Inc. is a leading solutions provider proudly serving all
branches of the U.S. military, federal, state and local government
organizations, law enforcement agencies, first responders, partner
nations and the defense industry. ADS is focused on solving
customer’s challenges through the largest product and service
selection, the broadest array of procurement and contract options,
world-class support and logistics solutions and legendary customer
service. To learn more, visit the ADS website at http://adsinc.com
- Our Purpose. Your Mission.
Safe Harbor Statement
Certain statements in this press release may constitute
“forward-looking statements” as that term is defined in the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are made
on the basis of current expectations, forecasts and assumptions
that involve risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited
to, economic, competitive, governmental and technological factors
outside of our control, that may cause our business, strategy or
actual results to differ materially from those expressed or
implied. Factors that could cause actual results to differ
materially from the forward-looking statements include, but are not
limited to, our ability to perform under existing contracts and
obtain additional contracts; our reliance on sales to the U.S.
government; changes in the timing and/or amount of government
spending; changes in the supply and/or demand and/or prices for our
products and services; changes in the regulatory environment; the
activities of competitors; failure of the markets in which we
operate to grow; failure to expand into new markets; failure to
develop new products or integrate new technology with current
products; and general economic and business conditions in the
United States and elsewhere in the world. For a further list and
description of such risks and uncertainties, see the reports we
file with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our
most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on
10-Q. We do not intend, and undertake no obligation, to update any
forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information,
future events or otherwise.
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version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160202005992/en/
AeroVironment, Inc.Steven Gitlin+1 (626)
357-9983pr@avinc.comorFor AeroVironment, Inc.Mark Boyer+1 (310)
229-5956mark@boyersyndicate.com
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