., in collaboration with Boeing, ING Engineering and the Canadian Forces, announced that it has donated a ScanEagle unmanned aircraft to the Canada Aviation and Space Museum.
Marking the significance of Canada’s participation in the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan, the contribution coincides with the commemoration of the 25,000 combat flight hours that Insitu systems have flown in support of the Canadian Forces.
ScanEagle production aircraft #687 flew 2,000 flight hours supporting the missions of Canadian and allied forces before it was retired in April, 2010. Partners will celebrate the contributions of this aircraft during a ceremony and reception at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum.
In-theatre technology upgrades ensure that customers receive increasing mission-value over time. Because the system is modular, inserting a new capability is often as simple as swapping a component in the field.
“Canadian Forces and customers worldwide depend on Insitu to innovate with agility, to rapidly deliver new capabilities to the battlefield,” said Insitu Vice President of Sales and Marketing Ryan Hartman. “As a non-integrated subsidiary of Boeing, we deliver evolving technology while drawing on the additional knowledge and resources of The Boeing Company.”
Since ScanEagle was first deployed in 2004, system upgrades have included hush engines for reduced acoustic signature, frequency-agile capabilities for in-flight frequency deconfliction, new launchers and NightEagle—a ScanEagle aircraft reconfigured to carry a cooled, mid-wave infrared imager for daylight-quality imagery from infrared operations.
Like any system deployed in theatre, it is the people combined with proven technology that make the mission a success. Canada-based ING Engineering provides the field service representatives (FSRs) who support Insitu’s unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in theater, delivering intelligence, surveillance, targeting, acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) services to the Canadian Forces with a 99 percent mission-readiness rate.
Insitu designs, develops and manufactures UAS and provides associated services for commercial, civil and defense applications. With a small footprint and expeditionary focus for both land and sea operations, the company’s family of UAS solutions and global mission support serves the needs of worldwide customers. To date, these systems have accumulated 470,000 combat flight hours and 58,000 sorties.
Source: Press Release