Black Swift Technologies (BST)
, a specialized engineering firm based in Boulder, CO, and Leptron Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), a subsidiary of Geotech Environmental Equipment, Inc. of Denver, CO, announced a strategic alliance showcasing the individual strengths of each respective company—Leptron UAS for its manufacturing capabilities, and Black Swift Technologies for their advanced avionics and flight management systems.
Under the agreement, Leptron UAS will begin manufacturing the Black Swift S1™ UAS integrated with Black Swift Technologies SwiftCore™ Flight Management System. The resulting aircraft will be marketed by Leptron/Geotech as the GeoSwift Mapper.
“As demand for our aircraft grew it became clear to us that we needed to explore alternatives to the hands-on production approach we have employed since our inception,” said Jack Elston Ph.D., CEO, Black Swift Technologies. “Our core competencies have always been in advanced avionics engineering and scientific sensor integration. This alliance affords us the ability to refocus our attention on the strengths that have set us apart from other UAS providers in the market. It is a great example of collaboration between two progressive Colorado-based companies.”
Black Swift Technologies and Leptron Unmanned Aircraft Systems are both active member of UAS Colorado, a non-profit business league, committed to promoting and improving the aerospace industry in Colorado. This forum proved to be a key enabler to the dialog that facilitated this relationship.
“From my perspective the only way to effectively address the light commercial and industrial market is to partner with other like-minded organizations and have each group focus on their strengths,” says Jeff Popiel, President and CEO, Leptron Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Inc. “In this case, Black Swift’s expertise is in advanced avionics and platform integration, while Leptron/Geotech focuses on manufacturing and training. The fact that the aircraft is manufactured entirely in the USA cannot be overlooked either.”
Source: Press Release