The first ScanEagle unmanned aircraft system (UAS) has been successfully demonstrated aboard the Canadian Navy’s Kingston Class coastal defence vessel HMCS Glace Bay.
During the demonstration, the ScanEagle UAS performed an in-flight hand-off by Canadian Navy personnel aboard the ship to a land-based ground control station operated by Canadian Army personnel in the Halifax Naval Base.
The demonstration included locating and tracking pre-positioned vessels and engaging suspicious activity organised ashore as well as objects and divers in the water.
At 1.37m long, and with a 3.11m wingspan, ScanEagle has a maximum take-off weight of 20kg and a cruise speed of 48kt.
The ScanEagle UAS, developed by Insitu in collaboration with Boeing, features and inertially stabilised camera that can track fixed and moving objects for prolonged periods.
The full ScanEagle system includes one or more ScanEagle unmanned aircraft, a pneumatic launcher, a SkyHook recovery system and a ground control station.
