Insitu Pacific, the Australia-based subsidiary of Insitu Inc., announced on July 9 that it was awarded a contract to provide its ScanEagle Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) to the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN). The delivery of these systems will be accompanied by training, logistics and ship installation, as well as specialist in-country maintenance support. The ScanEagle UAS is being fitted for the fastest ships in the RSN’s fleet, the missile corvettes.
Recent RSN sea testing and other trials have demonstrated that the ScanEagle UAS improves situational awareness at sea. ScanEagle is uniquely suited to maritime operations and offers the substantial advantage of being used in conjunction with rotary wing assets. The system does not require a helicopter deck or hangar storage space in order to be operated, and it can be integrated on small vessels like corvettes and patrol boats. It is unique in offering smaller naval surface combatants that do not have helicopter decks or handling facilities, a capable and proven intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) solution.
Insitu Pacific’s ScanEagle UAS offers unrivalled persistence and situational awareness with an endurance of greater than 24 hours and a flexible range of payload options. With its small operational footprint, the system is one of the most proven-at-sea tactical UAS available in the world today. Insitu’s ScanEagle has surpassed 600,000 combat flight hours globally, including more than 23,000 shipboard flight hours and 2,900 shipboard sorties.
“Insitu Pacific is extremely pleased to be working closely with the Republic of Singapore Navy for the provision of the ScanEagle UAS. ScanEagle’s proven capability as a highly persistent ISR force multiplier in the maritime domain will provide Navy commanders with an organic ISR capability offering significant operational advantages, ” said Insitu Pacific Managing Director Andrew Duggan. “ ScanEagle is unique in that it is the only proven fixed wing UAS solution operating from ships in the world today with over 23,000 shipborne flight hours globally. It also has the advantage of not requiring the use of a helicopter deck. This is critical on Frigates and smaller combatants where there is often only space to embark and operate one rotary wing platform at a time.”
[mappress] Naval Today Staff, July 11, 2012; Image: Insitu Pacific