Airbus teams up with AGI to develop ship-based landing aid systems

Airbus Defence and Space has signed a a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with UK’s Aeronautical & General Instruments (AGI) to work on the integration of Airbus DeckFinder products into AGI’s ship based visual landing aid systems.

The companies have agreed to jointly market a system that will provide navies with the capability to operate both manned and unmanned air vehicles in all-weather environments.

AGI’s visual landing aids provide visual lighting systems to support manned aircraft operations on naval flight decks. DeckFinder is a radio-frequency, GPS-independent, high accuracy relative positioning system enabling the control of unmanned systems during take-off and landing periods.

“We see this partnership as an important step forward which allows our system to be seamlessly integrated into new and existing naval platforms around the world,” said Evert Dudok, head of communications, intelligence & security (CIS) business line at Airbus Defence and Space.

The two companies expect to have a market ready product in the first half of 2017.