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Home > News & Events > Press Release
USAF UAV Battlelab Sponsors Demonstration of Proxy Aviation’s SkyForce
at Creech AFB, Nevada
Unmanned aircraft demonstrated fully autonomous capability, end-user
tasking, and overall range of communication
Germantown, Md. —
January 9, 2006 — Proxy Aviation Systems,
Inc., a company that develops fully autonomous, optionally piloted unmanned
aircraft systems (UAS), announced the United States Air Force (USAF) Unmanned
Aerial Vehicle Battlelab (UAVB) sponsored and cooperated in a demonstration
of SkyForceTM, Proxy Aviation’s unmanned aircraft system. Held to demonstrate
the autonomous capability of the system, the demonstration program was
made possible through a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement
(CRADA) between the USAF UAV Battlelab and Proxy Aviation.
The demonstration took place in early November at the USAF UAV Battlelab
at Creech Air Force Base in Nevada. Proxy Aviation’s SkyWatcherTM, an
optionally piloted, unmanned aircraft (UA) designed for intelligence,
surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions, was used to complete the
demonstrations. End-user sensor tasking, simulated handling of system
faults, and overall communication range were evaluated through a series
of flight demonstrations -- each successfully completed by SkyWatcher.
Portland, Oregon-based FLIR Systems, Inc. provided the Star SAFIRE III
sensor used in the demonstrations.
SkyWatcher is the ISR component of SkyForce, Proxy Aviation’s comprehensive,
network-centric unmanned aircraft system. SkyForce is designed to manage
the cooperative flight of up to 12 unmanned aircraft in constellation
formation while simultaneously distributing sensor control and viewing
capability among multiple end users. The system is comprised of three
main components: multiple, optionally piloted, unmanned aircraft with
various quick-change payloads; a mission-management ground control station;
and remote and mobile user terminals.
Col. Larry Felder, USAF UAVB Commander, said “The USAF UAV Battlelab,
in cooperation with Proxy Aviation Systems, successfully conducted initial
demonstrations of the SkyWatcher platform and its associated ground control
station. SkyWatcher and SkyForce have potential to bring valuable combat
capabilities to the warfighter.”
Don Ryan, Proxy Aviation’s Chief Executive Officer, said, “We are extremely
pleased to be working with the United States Air Force UAV Battlelab and
are excited with the promising results of the demonstration. Based on
these recent successes, SkyForce is now one step closer to being deployed
to execute critical unmanned missions around the world.”
In addition to SkyWatcher, Proxy Aviation’s UAS also includes the optionally
piloted, high-performance SkyRaiderTM. Currently under development, this
UA is designed to operate at higher speeds and altitudes and carry special-purpose
payloads.
About Proxy Aviation Systems
Proxy Aviation Systems designs and manufactures fully autonomous,
optionally piloted unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for use in intelligence,
surveillance, reconnaissance and other special missions. Proxy Aviation’s
system addresses the long endurance, medium altitude, multi-payload requirements
set forth by the U.S. military and the Department of Homeland Security.
Founded in 2003 as a Delaware corporation, Proxy Aviation is headquartered
in Germantown, Maryland. For more information, visit www.proxyaviation.com.
# # #
Proxy Aviation Systems, Inc., SkyForce, SkyWatcher
and SkyRaider are trademarks of Proxy Aviation Systems, Inc. in the United
States. All other products and names are or may be trademarks or registered
trademarks of their respective owners.
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